China's top political adviser to visit N. Korea this week: KCNAWang Huning, China's top political adviser, will visit North Korea this week, the North's state media reported Tuesday, amid high-level exchanges between the two nations, marked by the North Korea premier's recent trip to Beijing. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, will lead a party and government delegation on an "official goodwill visit" to the North from Wednesday through Friday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The visit will take place at the invitation of the North Korean government and the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, it said. Wang, a member of the Communist Party's highest decision-making body, is China's fourth-ranking official. His trip comes amid high-level exchanges between the two neighbors marking the 65th anniversary of the signing of their friendship treaty. North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song visited China last week to attend events marking the anniversary. North Korea and China signed the Tre3h agoBy Yonhap
N. Korea urges readiness against heavy rain under Typhoon Bavi influenceNorth Korea on Tuesday called for all-out efforts to prepare measures to prevent possible damage from heavy rain and strong winds, as the country is expected to be affected by Typhoon Bavi. The Rodong Sinmun, the North's most widely read newspaper, reported its state weather agency had issued a warning for heavy rain and strong winds through Wednesday, as Typhoon Bavi has weakened into a tropical depression after landing on China. The daily called for "thoroughly responding to torrential rain and strong wind while maintaining heightened vigilance across all sectors, regions, and units." It noted that North Phyongan Province and southern parts of its central region, along with some parts of Jagang Province bordering China, are expected to receive 80 to 120 millimeters of rain Tuesday. The newspaper said heavy rainfall of 150 to 200 mm is expected to fall locally across South and North Phyongan provinces and parts of the country's southern region, adding strong winds of 10 to 15 meters per second were forecast to sweep across the west coast and some parts of the inland. In response, the new5h agoBy Yonhap
NK premier vows efforts to expand ties with Beijing as he returns home from China tripNorth Korean Premier Pak Thae-song has vowed efforts to expand bilateral ties with China in a thank-you message to Chinese Premier Li Qiang, as he has returned home after a three-day trip to China for a key treaty anniversary, state media reported Monday. A North Korean delegation led by Premier Pak returned to Pyongyang the previous day from China, where he attended an event to mark the 65th anniversary of the signing of the two country's friendship treaty, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). In a thank-you note to Chinese Premier Li for "sincere hospitality," Pak wrote North Korea was willing to work with "the Chinese comrades to comprehensively expand and develop the traditional DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations as required by the new era true to the noble intention of the top leaders of the DPRK and China," the KCNA reported. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. During his visit, Pak met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, his counterpart Li and other high-ranking officials, including Cai Qi, director of th1d agoBy Yonhap
N. Korean, Chinese premiers discuss expanding exchanges, cooperation on 65th anniv. of friendship treatyNorth Korean Premier Pak Thae-song has met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing to discuss ways to expand exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, Pyongyang's state media reported Sunday. Pak met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the occasion of an event marking the 65th anniversary of the signing of a friendship treaty between the two nations the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). During the meeting, the two sides discussed expanding exchanges and cooperation across all spheres, in line with an agreement reached by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their summit talks in Pyongyang last month. Pak said relations between Pyongyang and Beijing have "reached a new high level," while vowing to strengthen their friendship and solidarity. In response, Li noted that it was the "steadfast" policy of the Chinese government to defend and consolidate their relations with Pyongyang, while describing the North Korea-China relationship as "neighbors sharing destiny." A North Korean delegation led by Pak arrived in Beijing2d agoBy Yonhap
China celebrates 65th anniversary of treaty with N. KoreaBEIJING — China has marked the 65th anniversary of its friendship treaty with North Korea with a celebratory event. The Chinese foreign ministry said Saturday the event took place in Beijing the previous day, with Cai Qi, director of the general office of the Chinese Communist Party's central committee, and North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song on hand, among others. In his speech, Cai noted the continuous development of the countries' bilateral ties since the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance on July 11, 1961. "Under the strategic guidance of the leaders in the two nations, our relationship has entered a new historical phase," Cai said, according to the ministry. "With the leaders' important consensus as strategic guidelines, I hope we will inherit our traditional friendship and take socialist projects and friendly cooperation ties to a new level." In response, Pak said the recent summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Pyongyang provided "strong momentum" to further deepen their bilateral relations. "Let's ex2d agoBy Yonhap
NK leader denounces corruption in military at rare meetingNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un denounced corruption in the military as he attended a joint meeting of the ruling party, government and army, state media said Saturday. The rare meeting was held in Pyongyang, Friday, "to give a warning to all sorts of anti-revolutionary, anti-socialist, anti-people acts going against the trend of the times," the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an English dispatch. In particular, the meeting addressed the case of Pak Hui-chol, former vice-director in charge of organizational affairs of the General Political Bureau of the People's Army, who the agency said was punished by the Supreme Court for engaging in various forms of corruption. "During the past four years when he had been in a responsible post of the political organ, he created special illusions about him while being engrossed in all sorts of abuses of authority and arbitrariness, and received a large amount of bribes from dishonest elements obsessed with greed and thirst for a high post and embezzled them," the KCNA said. "Pak Hui Chol's scandals are extra-large crimes that go beyoJul 11, 2026By Yonhap
Kim, Xi stress commitment to deepening strategic cooperation in messages marking treaty anniversaryNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping have reiterated their shared commitment to strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries in their messages marking the 65th anniversary of the signing of a friendship treaty, Pyongyang's state media said Saturday. The leaders exchanged the messages, pointing to the shifting international security situation, the Korean Central News Agency reported, as a Sino-U.S. rivalry is intensifying, with Seoul, Washington and Tokyo continuing to reinforce cooperation in confronting shared challenges. The exchange followed their summit talks in Pyongyang last month, which came at a time when Beijing was seen striving to improve relations with North Korea, which has drawn closer to Russia through deepening military, diplomatic and economic cooperation. In his missive, Kim highlighted his readiness to develop the bilateral relationship into a "model of the most powerful and strategic relations" between socialist countries by guiding it to a "new height," together with the Chinese president. "The DPRK-China friendly and coopJul 11, 2026By Yonhap
Xi meets N. Korea's premier ahead of 65th anniv. of friendship treatyChinese President Xi Jinping met North Korea's premier in Beijing on Friday ahead of an event marking the 65th anniversary of the signing of a friendship treaty between the two nations, news footage aired by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed. North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song arrived there earlier in the day for a three-day visit to attend the event commemorating the treaty anniversary at the invitation of China's Communist Party, according to the report. The Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance was signed July 11, 1961, by late North Korea founder and former leader Kim Il-sung and then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang's state media, reported on Pak's planned visit to Beijing the previous day, without specifying a detailed schedule. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping held summit talks in Pyongyang last month and vowed to strengthen bilateral ties through expanded exchanges across multiple sectors, from economy to culture, as well as more frequent high-level visits. At that time, Xi stressed tJul 10, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea to expand intelligence agency's role against 'potential enemies'North Korea has called for expanding the functions and missions of its intelligence agency against "potential enemies," state media said Friday, in a move seen as aimed at strengthening its intelligence gathering against South Korea. The discussion took place at the first enlarged meeting of the ninth Central Military Commission, presided over by leader Kim Jong-un, the previous day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The meeting addressed ways to enhance the Korean People's Army's combat readiness and modernization. "The meeting suggested tasks and ways for expanding in a many-sided way the functions and missions of the General Reconnaissance and Intelligence Bureau (GRIB)," the report said, describing the bureau as playing "a pivotal role in controlling the potential enemies' threats and gathering key information." It also called for enhancing its military reconnaissance and intelligence capabilities "in a radical way," according to the KCNA report. The report did not specify in detail how the bureau's intelligence-gathering capabilities would be expanded. North Korea is beJul 10, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea slams S. Korea-Japan military cooperation as 'self-destruction'North Korea on Thursday denounced military cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo as "a foolish act of courting self-destruction." The statement came from Kang Chol-su, section chief of North Korea's Institute of Enemy State Studies, in a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kang argued the cooperation would do nothing to weaken North Korea's deterrence capabilities, saying there would "never be a change in the absolute mechanical structure of no retreat built in the Korean Peninsula by the strongest nuclear weapons state." He pointed to the recent defense ministerial talks between Seoul and Tokyo, along with South Korea's jets refueling at a Japanese air base earlier this year, warning these developments "should not be overlooked." According to Kang, the deepening security ties are laying the groundwork for a "logistics support agreement" that would let the two countries supply "each other with munitions, including ammunition, in contingency." "Japan's security cooperation is precisely a confrontation cooperation targeting the DPRK," he said, calling it part of a broJul 9, 2026By Yonhap
