N. Korea's Kim pays tribute to prominent military figureNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has paid respects at the tomb of Hyon Chol-hae, who is known to have played a key role in grooming him for leadership, to mark the third anniversary of his death, the North's state media reported Monday. Kim visited the Patriotic Martyrs Cemetery in Sinmi-ri the previous day and laid a flower to mark the third anniversary of Hyon's death, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Hyon, marshal of the Korean People's Army, died at 87 on May 19, 2022. He is known to have played a key role in assisting Kim Jong-il, the father of the current leader, in consolidating control over the military and in preparing Kim Jong-un as his successor. In 2022, North Korea held a state funeral for Hyon, chaired by Kim Jong-un. Kim also visited Hyon's tomb on the first and second anniversaries of his death. "Still vivid in my memory is Comrade Hyon Chol-hae, who was always with General Kim Jong-il. He was a shadow of the great General," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA. "He will live forever in our minds, always reminding us of the era of Kim Jong-il and encouraging us iMay 19, 2025By Yonhap
NK university resumes Chinese language test for first time in 5 yearsAn elite university in North Korea has resumed its Chinese language proficiency test for the first time in five years, according to a website of the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang on Sunday. The North's Pyongyang University of Science and Technology resumed its Chinese language proficiency test called HSK on Saturday, with the Chinese ambassador to Pyongyang, Wang Yajun, attending the test. The language test in Pyongyang resumed for the first time in five years since the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, Wang said he expects the resumption of the Chinese language test to "encourage more young North Koreans to join the ranks of Chinese language learners." The move comes amid signs of North Korea and China working to mend ties, which had not been at their best as Pyongyang recently aligned closely with Moscow by deploying troops to support Moscow in the war against Ukraine.May 18, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's health minister leaves for WHO assembly in SwitzerlandNorth Korea's health minister has left for Switzerland to attend an assembly of the World Health Organization, the North's state media reported Sunday. The North's delegation, led by Public Health Minister Jong Mu-rim, headed for Geneva on Saturday to attend the 78th annual World Health Assembly, the North's Korean Central News Agency said, without elaborating further.May 18, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea bristles at US designation as country not cooperating with counterterrorism effortsNorth Korea denounced the United States, Saturday, for designating it as a country that does not fully cooperate with Washington's fight against terrorism, warning that further U.S. "provocations" would escalate hostility with Pyongyang. The North's foreign ministry issued the warning, carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), days after the U.S. State Department designated the North, along with Cuba, Iran, Syria and Venezuela, as uncooperative in the fight against terrorism. The ministry decried the designation as a "political provocation," saying that "the more the U.S. provokes the DPRK with unnecessary and inefficient malicious acts, the further it will escalate the irreconcilable hostility between the DPRK and the U.S.," according to its statement dated Friday. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "The 'anti-terrorism' advocated by the U.S. is nothing but an excuse to justify interference in internal affairs of other countries," the ministry said, adding that "no one has asked the U.S. to lead international anti-terrorist efMay 17, 2025By Yonhap
North Korea's Kim oversees air drillsNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised drills by the country's air force and underscored the need to step up in war preparation, state media KCNA said Saturday. Kim, who inspected anti-aircraft combat and air strike drills by North Korea's 1st Air Division, Thursday, called for "all units in the entire military" to bring about "a breakthrough in war preparation," the KCNA said. During May alone, Kim oversaw a missile test, inspected tank and munitions plants, made a rare visit to the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang, reaffirming the country's alliance with Russia, and observed tank firing drills and special operations unit training. North Korea also slammed the U.S. State Department for placing it on a list of countries that do not fully cooperate with U.S. counterterrorism efforts. North Korea has been placed on the list every year since 1997, Yonhap News Agency said. "The more the U.S. provokes the DPRK with unnecessary and inefficient malicious acts, the further it will escalate the irreconcilable hostility between the DPRK and the U.S," its Foreign Ministry spokesperson said accordingMay 17, 2025By Reuters
Chinese ambassador to N. Korea visits Pyongyang's biggest library: embassyChina's ambassador to North Korea has visited the country's biggest library in Pyongyang and expressed hope for the development of bilateral relations, according to the website of the embassy on Friday. Ambassador Wang Yajun visited the Grand People's Study House located at Kim Il-sung Square in the North Korean capital on Tuesday accompanied by Pyongyang-based diplomats, and toured its facilities. He was received by the library's deputy director, according to the embassy's website. The embassy said the library has long offered Chinese language courses, with each session serving as many as 700 Pyongyang citizens eager to learn Chinese. It quoted Wang as expressing hope that the North Korean library would strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Chinese institutions to nurture more talent for socialist development, as well as the advancement of bilateral relations between the two countries. The news came amid signs of Pyongyang and Beijing working to mend ties, which had not been at their best as North Korea recently aligned closely with Russia by deploying troops to support Moscow in thMay 16, 2025By Yonhap
US to extend N. Korea travel ban until August next year: State Dept.The United States will extend its ban on its citizens' travel to North Korea for another year, a State Department notice showed Thursday, citing "serious" risks associated with any trip to the reclusive state. The department posted the notice on the Federal Register on Wednesday, announcing the decision on the extension, which will make the restriction valid from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31 next year, as the current measure is set to expire on Aug. 31. Under the measure, all U.S. passports are to be declared invalid for travel to, in, or through the North unless specially validated for such travel. "The Department of State has determined there continues to be serious risk to U.S. citizens and nationals of arrest and long-term detention constituting imminent danger to their physical safety," the department said in the notice. In 2017, the U.S. implemented the travel restriction on North Korea. It has since been extended annually.May 16, 2025By Yonhap
'Championing justice, human rights and good values still in US interests'WASHINGTON — Morse Tan, a former ambassador-at-large for Global Criminal Justice in the U.S. Department of State during President Donald Trump's first administration, recalled that the nature of his office at that time had limitations in talking about his work on genocides, war crimes and crimes against humanity globally and in specialized regions like North Korea. "In fact, there was one time at a conference at Maryland, different bureaucrats were worried that I would make U.S. policy public through my prayers. So I wasn't even allowed to pray freely," Tan said, laughing. The 51-year-old is a devout Christian known for not skipping prayers. A 1.5-generation Korean American (he left Seoul at the age of 2), his office within the State Department dealt with mass atrocities and provided advice on how to address injustices around the globe to the secretary of state. It is an office not commonly seen in other countries' foreign ministries, dedicated to pursuing justice and addressing injustices. While he could not go into detail, he said he did what he could to advance the situation in NoMay 15, 2025By Kim Ji-soo
N. Korea's Kim supervises special operations' drills, urges full preparations for warNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has supervised combined tactical drills of special operations, stressing that the most "crucial" task for the North's armed forces is to make full preparations for war. The combined tactical drills of special operations and tank subunits' joint fire strike demonstration took place the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "Saying that our revolutionary armed forces are now in charge of not a few fronts, but the most important among them is the anti-imperialist class front and making full preparations for war is the most crucial task," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA. Kim appears to have highlighted the concept of the anti-imperialist class front to justify the North's deployment of troops to Russia to support Moscow's war against Ukraine. Photos carried by state media showed North Korean troops in camouflage suits operating drones. South Korea's spy agency earlier said it detected signs of North Korean troops deployed to Russia learning drone operations and tactics from Moscow. Last month, North Korea acknowledged for the fiMay 14, 2025By Yonhap
