Unification ministry defends white paper against criticism over 'two-state' languageThe unification ministry on Tuesday pushed back against criticism that its newly published white paper violates the Constitution, clarifying the controversial "two-state" language does not reflect official government policy. "It does not at all mean recognizing North Korea as a legal state," a ministry official told reporters. "It is meant to pursue policy based on acknowledging North Korea's political entity and statehood." The paper, released Monday, outlines the Lee Jae Myung government's North Korea policy around three key principles: Seoul respects North Korea's system, does not pursue unification by absorption and will not engage in hostile activities. It says Seoul seeks peaceful coexistence with North Korea, while still aiming for eventual unification, "given the reality that South and North Korea effectively exist as two states." The paper also called for transforming Pyongyang's "hostile two-state policy" into a "peaceful two-state" relationship seeking unification, a wording that drew criticism from some who argued it risks legitimizing North Korea as a separate sovereign statMay 19, 2026By Yonhap
No reports of MDL crossings by N. Korean troops this year amid border fortification: sourceNorth Korean troops have not crossed the inter-Korean border so far this year as Pyongyang appears to have completed land-clearing work as part of its border fortification measures, a military source said Tuesday. North Korean troops crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) at least 17 times last year, but there have been no reports of such violations so far this year, according to the source. The sharp contrast comes as North Korea appears to have largely completed work to level the ground and clear brush near the border by late 2025. Since April 2024, North Korean troops have been detected briefly crossing the MDL when it installed barbed wire fences, planted mines and erected anti-tank barriers as part of border control measures. The South Korean military issues warning messages and fires warning shots in the event of such a border intrusion in a bid to prompt North Korean troops to withdraw, but no such need arose this year, according to the source. North Korea has bolstered border fortification work since the North's leader Kim Jong-un declared inter-Korean relations as those betwMay 19, 2026By Yonhap
Unification white paper pivots to peaceful 'two-state' coexistence with N. KoreaThe Lee Jae Myung government has shifted its focus to a peaceful "two-state" coexistence with North Korea, rather than pressure and confrontation, the unification ministry's white paper showed Monday, striking a markedly different tone from its predecessor. The annual paper reflects the push by the Lee government, which took office in June last year, to repair the strained inter-Korean relationship based on building mutual trust. The previous conservative Yoon Suk Yeol government sought to bring about change in North Korea through pressure and the influx of outside information. The latest white paper laid out three key guiding principles: Seoul respects North Korea's system, does not pursue unification by absorption and does not engage in hostile activities. Built on these principles, the government has framed its overarching policy as one of "peaceful coexistence and mutual growth on the Korean Peninsula." In particular, regarding Pyongyang's "two hostile states" policy, the document specified the ministry's stance that highlights the need for a transition to a "peace-oriented two-stateMay 18, 2026By Yonhap
Trump, Xi reaffirm shared goal of denuclearizing N. Korea: White HouseWASHINGTON—U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed their shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea during their recent summit talks in Beijing, the White House said in a fact sheet released Sunday. The two leaders met in the Chinese capital on Thursday and Friday, during which they discussed a range of key issues, including security on the Korean Peninsula, the status of Taiwan, the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and bilateral trade. "President Trump and President Xi confirmed their shared goal to denuclearize North Korea," the White House said in the fact sheet. During an ABC interview broadcast earlier in the day, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also said that Trump and Xi "agreed that the goal on the Korean Peninsula remains denuclearization." The reaffirmation of the denuclearization goal came as Pyongyang has been doubling down on its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and is apparently pursuing the international community's recognition of its status as a nuclear power. It remains unclear whether China's agreement on the goal would translatMay 18, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim chairs army commanders' meeting, orders southern border defense build-upNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has convened a meeting with commanding officers of the armed forces and called for reinforcement of front-line units on the southern border, state media reported Monday. Kim made the call Sunday in a meeting with the commanders of the army's divisions and brigades, stressing that advancement of military technology at key units, particularly front-line forces, plays a critical role in effective deterrence of war, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It marked the first such gathering since Kim took power in late 2011. Urging the military to continue to heighten their awareness against North Korea's "arch" enemy, the North Korean leader highlighted the country's policy of turning the southern border into an "impregnable fortress" and strengthening the front-line units. To this end, the country plans to remodel the military organizational structure and strengthen the first-line units and other major units as an "important decision to more thoroughly deter war," Kim said, according to the KCNA report. He also emphasized the commanders' responsibiMay 18, 2026By Yonhap
NK football team's S. Korea visit signals possibility of inter-Korean cooperation: cheering squad officialA planned visit to South Korea by a North Korean women's football team suggests the possibility of future discussions on inter-Korean cooperation within multilateral frameworks, though it is unlikely to directly lead to broader inter-Korean exchanges, a senior official from an inter-Korean cooperation council said. Lee Ju-sung, secretary-general of the NGO Council for Inter-Korean Cooperation, made the remarks in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Friday, as his organization is set to participate in a joint cheerleading squad for the semifinal match between Pyongyang-based Naegohyang Women's FC and South Korea's Suwon FC Women in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League. The North Korean team is scheduled to arrive later in the day at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. The match is set to take place on Wednesday at Suwon Sports Complex, located about 30 kilometers south of Seoul. "While civic organizations agreed in principle last month to pursue a joint cheerleading campaign, I was not sure whether North Korea would actually send a team here," LeeMay 17, 2026By Yonhap
Top N. Korean government official meets Vietnam FM in PyongyangA top official of North Korea's rubber-stamp legislature met Vietnam's Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung for talks in Pyongyang earlier this week, the North's state media reported Saturday. Jo Yong-won, chairman of the standing committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, met Trung, Friday, during his visit to the country as Vietnamese President To Lam's special envoy, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The KCNA dispatch did not offer details of the talks, which included North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak Sang-gil and Vietnamese Ambassador to North Korea Le Ba Vinh, but noted that it took place in a "friendly atmosphere." Jo is considered a top aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and one of the most influential officials in Pyongyang. Trung arrived in Pyongyang, Tuesday, and met North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui the next day. His visit came amid warming ties between the two countries following a summit between Lam and Kim in Pyongyang in October, which marked the first visit by a top Vietnamese leader to the North in 18 years.May 16, 2026By Yonhap
Trump says he discussed N. Korea with Xi during Beijing summitBEIJING — U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he discussed North Korea with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their summit in Beijing this week, as he has expressed his desire to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump made the remarks in a meeting with reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Washington after a three-day visit to Beijing, according to Reuters. It remains uncertain exactly what he and Xi discussed about North Korea. But in the lead-up to the Beijing summit, speculation lingered that Trump could ask for China's assistance to facilitate the resumption of diplomacy with the reclusive regime. The president also said he talked a lot about Taiwan with Xi, and that he does not think there is a conflict on the issue, Reuters reported. China regards the self-governing democracy as part of its territory. On Iran, Trump said he was OK with Iran suspending its nuclear program for 20 years, underscoring that there has to be a "real" commitment from Tehran. Last month, Trump said there is no 20-year limit, stressing that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. In additMay 15, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea denounces British sanctions over its children's campNorth Korea on Friday denounced Britain for including a North Korean children's camp in its new sanctions list over suspected involvement in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children, calling it a "heinous politically-motivated provocation." A spokesperson at North Korea's foreign ministry slammed Britain for sanctioning the Songdowon International Children's Camp for suspected ties with Russia, according to a statement carried by the North Korean Central News Agency. "Britain's such reckless act is a heinous unethical politically-motivated provocation to tarnish the external image of our state and disparage the DPRK-Russia relations of friendship and cooperation by unreasonably linking our children's camping facility with the groundless issue of 'forcible migration' of Ukrainian children," read the statement. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. It further called the designation "an intolerable insult to our dignified state," adding Britain's "hostility toward the DPRK is exceeding the limits." On Monday, the British government includMay 15, 2026By Yonhap
Pyongyang hosts event marking N. Korea, Vietnam party congresses in show of tightening tiesNorth Korea has held a celebratory event to mark the recent key party congress of both the North and Vietnam, state media reported Friday. The photography exhibition, hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Pyongyang, was held at Taedonggang Diplomatic Club on Thursday, featuring videos, photos and archival materials highlighting the friendship and cooperation between the two countries' leaders past and present, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The event was attended by Pak Sang-gil, vice minister of foreign affairs, and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, who is currently visiting the North as a special envoy of Vietnamese President To Lam, and Le Ba Vinh, Vietnam's ambassador to Pyongyang, among others. North Korea held its ninth congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in February, and Vietnam convened the 14th national congress of the Communist Party in January. On the same day, Trung visited the Juche Tower and a school tasked with grooming and training elite party cadres, the report said. Trung arrived in North Korea on Tuesday and met with North Korean Foreign MMay 15, 2026By Yonhap
