N. Korean leader Kim Jong-un calls new hospital construction 'great revolution'North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has hailed the construction of a new hospital as a "great revolution" in the country's public health care system, state media reported Tuesday. The comment came during his inspection of a hospital complex under construction in Kangdong County, located on the northeastern outskirts of Pyongyang, on Monday, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The work of building modern public health facilities in cities and counties across the country is a great revolution for developing public healthcare, which has lagged behind other sectors, to surpass them within ten years," the KCNA quoted Kim as saying. During the visit, Kim toured various sections of the facility, including the outpatient ward, operating theater, inpatient ward and underground parking area. He was accompanied by senior officials of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, including Kim Tok-hun, Kim Jae-ryong and O Su-yong, according to the KCNA report. The North Korean leader emphasized the importance of advancing medical equipment and strengthening the country'sJun 3, 2025By Yonhap
Pyongyang slams monitoring group's report on North Korea-Russia military cooperationNorth Korea on Monday denounced a monitoring group on the enforcement of U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang for issuing a report on military cooperation between the North and Russia, calling the move a violation of a state's sovereign rights. The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) on Thursday issued the first report detailing illegal military cooperation carried out between North Korea and Russia in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions against Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. The chief of the external policy office at North Korea's foreign ministry said the MSMT committed a "political provocation" by fabricating a report taking issue with cooperative ties between the North and Russia, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Calling the MSMT a "bogus group which has no legality in terms of existence and purpose," the official said the report is a "wanton" violation of international legal principles centering on sovereignty equality and non-interference in others' internal affairs. "We give stern warning against the negative consequences to be entailJun 2, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea holds events marking Int'l Children's DayNorth Korea has held events to mark International Children's Day, attended by foreign diplomats stationed in Pyongyang, state media reported Monday, highlighting what appears to be an image of a normal state. North Korea held various events for children, including those with disability, the previous day to mark the 75th anniversary of International Children's Day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). North Korea, China and other countries sharing socialist values have marked June 1 as International Children's Day, instead of May 5. A celebrative event was held in Pyongyang to mark the 75th anniversary, attended by diplomats stationed in Pyongyang and overseas compatriots, according to the KCNA. North Korea is a signatory to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, but it has been facing international criticism over inhumane treatment of children. North Korea appears to have used the recent celebrative events for children in a bid to project itself as a normal state in the face of the international community's call for improving its human rights, experts said.Jun 2, 2025By Yonhap
Pyongyang slams monitoring group's report on N. Korea-Russia military cooperationNorth Korea on Monday denounced a monitoring group on the enforcement of U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang for issuing a report on military cooperation between the North and Russia, calling the move a violation of a state's sovereign rights. The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) on Thursday issued the first report detailing illegal military cooperation carried out between North Korea and Russia in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions against Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. The chief of the external policy office at North Korea's foreign ministry said the MSMT committed a "political provocation" by fabricating a report taking issue with cooperative ties between the North and Russia, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Calling the MSMT a "bogus group which has no legality in terms of existence and purpose," the official said the report is a "wanton" violation of international legal principles centering on sovereignty equality and non-interference in others' internal affairs. "We give stern warning against the negative consequences to be entailJun 2, 2025By Yonhap
US, allies accuse North Korea and Russia of flagrantly violating UN sanctions in military dealsUNITED NATIONS — The United States and 10 allies on Thursday said the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea flagrantly violates U.N. sanctions and has helped Moscow increase its missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. They made the accusations in their first report since joining forces to monitor sanctions against North Korea after Russia vetoed a resolution in March 2024 to continue the monitoring by a U.N. Security Council panel of experts. It had been issuing reports of Pyongyang’s sanctions violations since 2010. The 29-page report produced by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team — comprised of the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea and the United Kingdom — said the evidence it gathered demonstrates that North Korea and Russia have engaged in “myriad unlawful activities” explicitly prohibited by U.N. sanctions resolutions. It said North Korea has transferred arms and related materiel by sea, air and rail, including artillery, ballistic missiles and combat vehicles, for Russia’s use in the war iMay 30, 2025By AP
NK's state security minister slams US' unilateral, hegemonic policy, vows powerful responseNorth Korea's state security minister has accused the United States of threatening the foundation of global peace through unilateral and militaristic hegemonic policies, vowing to respond with "powerful might," state media reported Friday. Minister Ri Chang-dae made the remarks on Wednesday during a speech at a high-level security officials' meeting held in Moscow from Tuesday to Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "Due to the arbitrariness and abuse of power by certain forces on the international stage, the internationally recognized principles of international relations are openly being ignored," the KCNA quoted Ri as saying. He also accused the U.S. of posing a continuing threat to the foundation of global peace and security through its "unilateral and militaristic hegemonic" policies, and pursuing its own power and interests against the wishes of the international community "We will never stay silent to any kinds of hostile acts that threaten the country's autonomy and dignity and the people's wellbeing," Ri also said, adding that his country will "respond with poweMay 30, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim oversees military artillery firing contestNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen a firing contest among military artillery units and said maximizing the demand for training is the "shortcut" to building a powerful army, state media reported Friday. Kim watched the contest held among artillery subunits of large combined units of the Korean People's Army (KPA) the previous day, accompanied by Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the ruling party's Central Military Commission, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. He stressed the importance of frequently organizing firing contests under conditions resembling actual warfare to train artillerymen to accurately hit targets at any time and in any situation, according to the KCNA. The leader also noted, "Prioritizing training and intensifying training are absolute loyalty to the party ... and making exact demand on training to the maximum is the shortcut to training the powerful army," it said. The state media also reported that Kim gave a positive assessment of the "qualitative changes" being made in "strengthening the war capability of the artillery in conformity with the develMay 30, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim demotes director of military's general political bureauNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has demoted the director of the military's general political bureau in an apparent sweeping reshuffle of senior military officials following the recent warship accident. The decision came as North Korea held an enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) on Wednesday, presided over by the North's leader, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Friday. The commission "newly appointed six commanding officers of corps-level units, the director of the Artillery Bureau and the director of the Security Bureau and newly dispatched some political commissars," the KCNA said, without disclosing other details. Jong Kyong-thaek, director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army (KPA), has been demoted to the rank of colonel general from general, Seoul's unification ministry said, citing photos carried by the North's state media. Photos related to a firing contest among military artillery units held Thursday showed Jong with the lower military rank's insignia on his uniform, though he was refMay 30, 2025By Yonhap
S. Korean soldier misfires machine gun toward inter-Korean borderA South Korean soldier stationed at a front-line unit near the inter-Korean border accidentally fired a machine gun toward North Korea earlier this week, prompting the military to air broadcasts to notify the North of the incident, the military said Thursday. The soldier mistakenly fired a single round from the K6 heavy machine gun from a general outpost unit in Yangju, some 25 kilometers north of Seoul, at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the military. "The respective unit immediately conducted a broadcast to the North to notify of the incident and no unusual movements by the North Korean military have been detected so far," Yang Seung-kwan, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), told a regular press briefing. Wednesday's incident occurred just about a month after a South Korean soldier accidentally fired a single round from the K6 from a guard post inside the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas in Cheorwon County, about 70 kilometers north of the capital. Yang, the JCS official, said the military has launched an investigation into the case and will review meMay 29, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea completes renovation of Tumen River railway station linked to RussiaNorth Korea has completed the renovation of a railway station that links the country to Russia across the Tumen River, state media reported Thursday, in the latest sign of the two countries' closer alignment. A ceremony marking the completion of the Tumen River Station's renovation was held at the site the previous day, attended by the railway minister, other officials and workers, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "As the Tumen River Station was constructed in accordance with its mission to serve as a border gateway station, it is now capable of guaranteeing passenger convenience at a high level and contributing to railway modernization," the KCNA noted. Situated just below the Tumen River on North Korea's northeastern border with Russia, the station is connected to Russia's Khasan Station by a bridge. The North's 512-kilometer-long Tumen River serves as its boundary with both China and Russia. An official at South Korea's unification ministry said a roof appears to have been installed over the station's platform and waiting room during the renovation to improve convenience forMay 29, 2025By Yonhap
