Trump 'receptive' to correspondence with NK leader Kim: White HouseU.S. President Donald Trump is "receptive" to correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and wants to see the progress that was made during their first summit in 2018, a White House spokesperson said Wednesday. Karoline Leavitt, the spokesperson, made the remarks after NK News reported, citing an "informed high-level source," that North Korean diplomats in New York had refused to accept a letter from Trump, which was aimed at reestablishing communication channels between Washington and Pyongyang. "The president remains receptive to correspondence with Kim Jong-un, and he'd like to see the progress that was made at that summit in Singapore, which I know you covered in 2018 during his first term," Leavitt told a press briefing. "As for specific correspondence, I'll leave that to the president to answer," she added. The news report emerged amid expectations that Trump might seek to resume his personal diplomacy with the North Korean leader, which led to three in-person meetings between them — the first in Singapore in 2018, the second in Hanoi in February 2019 and the third at thJun 12, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim calls ties with Russia 'indestructible, genuine' relationship of comrades-in-arms, allianceNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said ties between North Korea and Russia have developed into an "indestructible, genuine" relationship between comrades-in-arms and an alliance, state media reported Thursday. Kim made the remarks in a congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of Russia Day, which falls on June 12, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Russia Day marks the 1990 adoption by the Russian parliament of the declaration of state sovereignty of the Russian Federation. The North's leader said the North Korea-Russia friendship has been further "cemented" due to the military comradeship the two nations' troops have forged at the cost of their blood during Russia's war against Ukraine. "It has developed into an excellent model of indestructible, genuine relationship between comrades-in-arms and alliance," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA. Kim said his country has an "unshakeable" will to steadfastly develop the bilateral ties between the two nations, vowing to "stand with" Russia and its people. The message also came ahead of the fJun 12, 2025By Yonhap
Lee orders suspension of loudspeaker broadcasts toward N. Korea: Seoul presidential officePresident Lee Jae-myung ordered the suspension of loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea along the border areas, a move aimed at easing tensions and rebuilding trust, the presidential office said Wednesday. Hours earlier, the military said it halted the anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts. The suspension came a year after the military had resumed such propaganda broadcasts in June last year in response to North Korea's repeated launch of trash-carrying balloons across the heavily fortified border. "The president instructed military authorities to suspend the loudspeaker broadcasts installed in the front-line areas toward North Korea at 2 p.m. today," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters. "This measure reflects the government's commitment to restoring trust in inter-Korean relations and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula," she said. Suspending the loudspeaker broadcasts was one of Lee's campaign pledges regarding inter-Korean affairs before winning the June 3 election. As a presidential candidate, Lee had also vowed to stop sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets acrJun 11, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korean leader Kim sends message congratulating Putin on Russia DayNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a message congratulating Russian President Vladimir Putin on Russia Day, the North's state media reported Wednesday. North Korean Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol "respectfully" conveyed Kim's message to the relevant official at the Russian foreign ministry, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Russia Day, which falls in June 12, is a national holiday that marks the 1990 adoption by the Russian parliament of the declaration of state sovereignty of the present-day Russian Federation. Details of Kim's letter were not disclosed, but the message likely reaffirmed the North's commitment to advancing their bilateral relations based on the treaty signed by the two leaders in June last year. In his previous message to Putin on Russia Day last year, Kim called their bilateral ties "a strategic asset" for both countries, reaffirming the North's steadfast commitment to advancing the relationship "in line with the demands of the new era." (Yonhap)Jun 11, 2025By Yonhap
South Korea halts propaganda broadcasts aimed at North KoreaSouth Korea halted its propaganda broadcasts into North Korea, Wednesday, in a move aimed at reengaging with Pyongyang. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the broadcasts were suspended in the afternoon as part of "fulfilling a pledge with the public to restore trust in inter-Korean relations and achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula." The military had resumed the broadcasts last June in retaliation to the North’s launch of trash-filled balloons, which began in May. The loudspeakers aired news critical of the Kim Jong-un regime. The decision comes as the Lee Jae-myung administration signals a major shift in its North Korea policy. Earlier this week, the Ministry of Unification called for a halt to anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns — seen as an initial step in the administration's broader effort to improve ties with the North. Analysts say these measures reflects Lee’s broader strategy to reengage North Korea through dialogue, marking a sharp break from his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol’s hardline stance. Unification officials recently contacted a civic group involved in anti-NJun 11, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Ration-based N. Korea building rare wholesale market in PyongyangNorth Korea, a socialist economy that relies on rationing as the main means of goods distribution, is building a rare large-scale wholesale market in Pyongyang, according to state media. In an article published the previous day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said North Korea's Premier Pak Thae-song visited the construction site of a central wholesale exchange market being built in Pyongyang's Hwasong district. Hwasong, located in northern Pyongyang, is where North Korea is currently completing a newly built residential town. During the visit, Pak was briefed by builders on the construction progress and plans for finishing the work and discussed necessary measures, the KCNA noted. The wholesale exchange market under construction is presumed to serve as a venue where producers and consumers can directly conduct transactions. It is rare for North Korea, where rationing is the official channel for goods distribution, to establish such a marketplace in the capital. Pak's visit to its construction site can be seen as a sign of the regime's willingness to tolerate the marketplace and incoJun 11, 2025By Yonhap
Unification ministry cites peace, public safety in call to halt leaflet campaignsThe unification ministry on Tuesday cited the need for peace building and public safety as the reasons for its recent call on civic groups to halt campaigns to send anti-Pyongyang leaflets to North Korea. The stance came a day after the ministry expressed "regret" and "strongly" urged a halt to leaflet campaigns after families of those abducted by North Korea sent large latex balloons carrying leaflets into North Korea from the western border city of Paju on June 2. "Prioritizing the creation of a peaceful atmosphere on the Korean Peninsula and the safety of the public, the ministry has requested a halt to anti-North leaflet distribution," a ministry official said on condition of anonymity. It marked the first time that the ministry has called for a halt to leaflet campaigns since the Constitutional Court ruled the ban on them unconstitutional in September 2023, citing freedom of expression — suggesting a sudden shift under the new Lee Jae-myung administration from its previous stance of non-interference. The ministry official said an investigation is currently under way into the campaJun 10, 2025By Yonhap
New under secretary, noted for NK expertise, kicks off State Dept. workA new senior U.S. diplomat, noted for her expertise on diplomacy with North Korea, has begun her State Department work amid expectations on her role for the possible resumption of dialogue with the recalcitrant regime. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker started her official duty last week after the Senate confirmed her in a 59-36 vote last Tuesday, according to the department's schedule and Congress' website. Hooker undertook the senior-level position as U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled his openness to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, with his administration pursuing the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea. She previously served as senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council, a key post for U.S. policy toward the Indo-Pacific. She was deeply involved in preparations for Trump's summits with North Korean leader Kim in Singapore in June 2018, Hanoi in February 2019 and the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019. From 2001-2014, Hooker served as a senior analyst for North Korea in the Department ofJun 10, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korean education delegation departs for Russia for int'l forumA North Korean delegation, led by Education Minister Kim Seung-doo, has left for Russia to attend an international forum of education ministers, state media reported Tuesday. The delegation left Pyongyang the previous day to participate in the third International Forum of Ministers of Education in Russia, the Korean Central News Agency said. The trip is the latest in a recent series of exchanges between Pyongyang and Moscow, which have drawn closer since the signing of a mutual defense treaty in June last year. Since then, the two countries have strengthened cooperation across various sectors, including defense, education, public health and the economy.Jun 10, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea says US entry ban not a matter of interest over its omission from listWhether the United States includes North Korea on its list of countries banned for domestic travel is not a matter of interest, the North's state media reported Tuesday, after Pyongyang was omitted from the list. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published the response about a week after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration signed a travel ban on 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, citing protection against "foreign terrorists" and security threats. According to a news report in March, North Korea and Russia were also among the countries reviewed for the travel ban, but both were omitted from the final list. Citing a local international affairs analyst, the KCNA reported there is a strange interpretation suggesting North Korea's omission from the list may reflect the U.S.' "carrot" approach toward North Korea to open the door for the resumption of dialogue. North Korea said whether it was purely for technical reasons or for political purpose, only the U.S. can explain why North Korea was not included on the list, but "one obvioJun 10, 2025By Yonhap
