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
Close aide to N. Korean leader presumed to be reinstated after suspected reeducationJo Yong-won, a North Korean party secretary considered one of the closest aides to leader Kim Jong-un, appears to have been reinstated following months of suspected disciplinary reeducation, according to Seoul officials and sources, Tuesday. Jo was reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) to be among a group of high-level officials who accompanied Kim on his visit to the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on Friday to mark Moscow's 80th Victory Day anniversary, according to Seoul's unification ministry. It was the first time that North Korea's media has mentioned Jo by his name and title since he was last listed among the attendees at groundbreaking ceremonies on Feb. 28 for regional industrial factories. His absence had fueled speculation about a possible change in his official status. On April 27, the KCNA also published photos showing Jo among officials attending an event in Pyongyang to evaluate industrial products from new factories, but he was not mentioned by name or title at the time. "Considering that (Jo's) name and title were listed in the state media report, his status appMay 13, 2025By Yonhap
UN to host 1st high-level meeting on N. Korea's human rights violationsThe United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will hold its first high-level meeting next week over human rights abuses and violations by North Korea, diplomatic and civic group sources said Monday. In a circulated letter, UNGA President Philemon Yang announced a plan to convene a high-level plenary meeting on May 20 to address North Korea's human rights violations, in accordance with a relevant UNGA resolution adopted in December last year, the sources said. It marks the first time that a high-level meeting on the North Korean human rights situation will be hosted by the UNGA. A previous high-level meeting on the subject, held in September 2014 during a UNGA session, was hosted by the South Korean and U.S. governments along with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. A foreign ministry official told Yonhap News Agency that the ministry is currently reviewing options to dispatch a senior official from Seoul, the top envoy to the U.N. or another representative to the meeting.May 12, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea says 20,000 homes to be built in 130 rural areas this yearAround 20,000 housing units will be built across 130 agricultural areas in North Korea this year as part of efforts to close the gap between urban and rural regions, the North's mainstream newspaper reported Sunday. "This year as well, some 20,000 agricultural homes are being built in various and unique styles across 130 cities and counties, showcasing the vitality of the party's rural revolution platform," the Rodong Sinmun daily said in an article. Several regions, including the Rajin and Sonbong districts in the city of Rason, are nearing the completion of new homes, while around 500 architects are currently working in Pyongyang on housing designs, the newspaper also said. The news report appears to highlight ongoing efforts to upgrade infrastructure in North Korea's rural areas, as the country pushes forward with a major construction plan, the Regional Development 20x10 Policy, aimed at annually building modernized factories in 20 cities and counties over a 10-year period. In a separate article Sunday, the Rodong Sinmun acknowledged disparities in living standards between urban and rMay 11, 2025By Yonhap
Will Pope Leo XIV make a historic visit to North Korea?Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, is expected to visit South Korea in 2027 for World Youth Day, and hopes are rising within the Korean Catholic community that he may also attempt a historic visit to North Korea. According to the Korean Catholic Church on Friday, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to attend the 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul. The global Catholic event, which began in 1984 and is held every two to four years, typically includes a papal visit. During the event, the pope presides over an opening Mass and other major ceremonies, spending about a week in the host country. Pope Francis confirmed Seoul as the next host city at the 2023 World Youth Day in Lisbon. If the trip proceeds, it will mark the fourth papal visit to South Korea. The most recent was Pope Francis’s visit in August 2014, which was also his first trip to Asia following his election. He stayed in Korea for five days. Many in the Korean Catholic community see papal visits as both a moment of spiritual significance and a diplomatic opportunity to elevate Korea’s presence on the world stage. Pope Leo XIV hasMay 10, 2025By KTimes
