N. Korea's Mount Kumgang likely to win UNESCO World Heritage status after 4-year bidNorth Korea's Mount Kumgang is expected to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site following a four-year application process, UNESCO said Tuesday. Mount Kumgang has long been regarded as one of Korea's most scenic mountains for its breathtaking beauty that changes with the seasons. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which serve as advisory bodies to the World Heritage Committee, have recommended the inclusion of Mount Kumgang on the UNESCO World Heritage list, according to UNESCO. The official name submitted by North Korea is Mt. Kumgang - Diamond Mountain from the Sea. North Korea submitted its application for World Heritage inscription in 2021, but the site's review was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The evaluation resumed this year.May 27, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's state security minister visits Russia; meeting with Shoigu expectedNorth Korea's state security minister has left for Russia to attend an international meeting of officials in charge of security affairs, the North's state media reported Tuesday, amid deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. A delegation, led by Minister Ri Chang-dae, departed Pyongyang the previous day to attend the 13th meeting of high representatives handling security issues, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Ri is expected to have talks with Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Moscow. Russia's Security Council said last week Shoigu will hold talks with officials from North Korea, Iran, India and other countries on May 28-29 on the sidelines of the meeting of high representatives responsible for security issues. The meeting between Ri and Shoigu comes as North Korea acknowledged for the first time in April that it has sent thousands of troops to Russia to support Moscow's war against Ukraine. Experts said they may use the upcoming talks to discuss North Korean troops' future moves and the issues related to the repatriation of the rMay 27, 2025By Yonhap
North Korea detains 4 officials over failed launch of naval destroyerNorth Korean authorities have detained four officials over the recent failed launch of a naval destroyer , an incident that leader Kim Jong-un said was caused by criminal negligence, state media said. It's rare for North Korea to publicly impose severe punishments against officials over botched weapons tests or military displays. The weekend arrests of the four officials signal how serious Kim is about his military build-up plan and bolstering discipline at home. The 5,000-ton-class destroyer was damaged Wednesday in the presence of Kim when a transport cradle on the ship’s stern detached early during a launch ceremony at the northeastern port of Chongjin. Satellite imagery on the site showed the vessel lying on its side and draped in blue covers, with parts of the ship submerged. The incident infuriated Kim as the warship — the country's second known destroyer — is key to his naval forces modernization plan. Kim quickly blamed military officials, scientists and shipyard operators for what he called a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientifMay 26, 2025By AP
Immediate inter-Korean summit infeasible, Lee Jae-myung saysHolding an inter-Korean summit is necessary but it would be difficult in the near future, Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea, said Monday. Asked by reporters about his unification policy, Lee said he would push to resume talks with Pyongyang if he becomes president, hinting at reversing the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s policy focused on deterrence against ― rather than negotiation with ― the North regime. “I don’t know if it would be possible. It is going to be very difficult, given the circumstances. But of course we should prepare and make it possible,” Lee said. Lee's stance is somewhat different from the usual stance of liberal administrations in the past, which used to set inter-Korean talks as a policy priority. This reflects the current inter-Korean relations which have been at their lowest in decades, with the North identifying the South as a separate and hostile nation and strengthening military ties with Russia in recent years. Since taking office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear that he wants tMay 26, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Security concerns behind N. Korea's objection to UNESCO Geopark status for S. Korean islandsSecurity concerns have been cited as the reason behind North Korea's objection to a UNESCO Global Geopark designation for a group of South Korean western border islands, diplomatic sources said Monday. North Korea cited "security reasons" when it filed an objection with UNESCO earlier this month to the agency's consideration of the Baengnyeong, Daecheong and Socheong islands for UNESCO Global Geopark status, according to the sources. In November, South Korea's Incheon government submitted the islands just south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) — the de facto maritime border with North Korea — to UNESCO for consideration as a UNESCO Global Geopark. The regional government later said North Korea had filed a written objection May 19, resulting in a halt to the designation process. The sources said North Korea's latest action was confirmed informally, suggesting it may take more time for the South Korean government to receive an official notice from UNESCO, as the process requires the complainant's consent. North Korea's objection is likely tied to its refusal to recognize the NLL as theMay 26, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korean officials mourn death of ex-Vietnamese President Luong at embassy in PyongyangA group of North Korean officials has visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Pyongyang to mourn the death of former Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong, the North's state media reported Monday. Officials from the foreign ministry, the external economic relations ministry and a diplomatic affairs unit paid the condolence visit the previous day to mourn the death of the former president, who contributed to the development of bilateral ties, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Luong died Tuesday at the age of 88. While in office, he traveled to North Korea in May 2002 to hold a summit with then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the first visit to the North by a Vietnamese president in 45 years. The two countries are marking the 75th anniversary of establishing formal diplomatic relations in 1950 by designating 2025 as a year of friendship.May 26, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea urges US to stop military threatsNorth Korea on Sunday called on the United States to abandon its military threats against others if it has concerns about its mainland safety. The head of the policy office at the North's defense ministry released a statement, carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), claiming that "the security guarantee of the U.S. mainland" depends on giving up "military threats and aggressive attempts" against other nations. "Recently, the U.S. military is hell-bent on inciting the 'threat' from the DPRK to its mainland while attempting to increase the arms buildup on the largest scale," the statement read, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The statement added that U.S. military officials are "picking a quarrel with the DPRK's self-defensive measures for bolstering up its nuclear force on several occasions, unhesitatingly making provocative remarks hinting at the possibility of outbreak of a war with the DPRK." Citing a recent U.S. test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the statement said it was an "illogical way of thinking" thaMay 25, 2025By Yonhap
North Korea detains officials over warship accident, state media saysNorth Korea has detained shipyard officials responsible for a recent major accident during the launch of a new warship, state media said on Sunday. The failed launch that crippled the 5,000-tonne warship was witnessed by leader Kim Jong Un who said the accident damaged the country's dignity and vowed to punish those found responsible. The mishap likely occurred in front of a large crowd at the northeastern port of Chongjin, increasing the public humiliation for Kim who tried to show off military might, experts say. As the investigation into the case intensified, law enforcement authorities arrested the chief engineer of the Chongjin Shipyard among others, state KCNA news agency reported on Sunday. Satellite imagery shows the warship, covered in blue tarps, lying on its side, with the stern swung out into the harbor, but the bow remaining on the side slipway, according to the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Kim has ordered the ship restored before a ruling party meeting in June. KCNA said the rehabilitation plan was pushing ahead. Against U.S. military builMay 25, 2025By Reuters
N. Korea in 'strongest strategic position' in decades: US intel reportWASHINGTON — North Korea stands in its "strongest strategic position" in decades, a U.S. intelligence report showed Friday, as the recalcitrant regime has been doubling down on its pursuit of advanced weapons that can threaten U.S. forces and allies in Northeast Asia, and the U.S. mainland. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the U.S. Department of Defense offered the analysis in the "2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment" that covered a wide range of security challenges from North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, and other state and non-state actors. The assessment came amid deepening concerns over North Korea's evolving nuclear and ballistic missile threats and its military alignment with Russia based on the two countries' "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty signed in June last year. "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is increasingly confident in his international political legitimacy and regime security," the DIA said in the report. "North Korea is in its strongest strategic position in decades, possessing the military means to hold at risk U.S. forces and U.S. allies in NortheMay 24, 2025By Yonhap
Satellite photo shows N. Korea's new warship capsized at shipyardNorth Korea's new warship that failed to properly launch into the sea this week lies partially submerged on its side while being draped over with tarpaulins, a British research organization has said, citing commercial satellite imagery. The Open Source Centre posted the image taken Thursday of the warship at a shipyard in North Korea's northeastern city of Chongjin on X, a day after the 5,000-ton naval destroyer's failed launch ceremony. "High resolution satellite imagery from @AirbusSpace shows the ship lies partially submerged on its side, tarpaulins draped over the wreckage in a visible attempt to contain the disaster," it said. North Korea said Thursday the warship experienced a "serious accident" during its launch and some sections of its bottom were "crushed." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who attended the ceremony, called the accident a "criminal act" that could not be tolerated. South Korea's military said the North appears to have failed in using a side launching technique and the destroyer remains partially capsized in the sea. On Friday, the North said it has launched an invMay 23, 2025By Yonhap
