S. Korea, US, Japan reaffirm NK denuclearization commitment, vow to boost economic security tiesThe top diplomats of Korea, the United States and Japan have reaffirmed their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and vowed to continue efforts to pursue dialogue with North Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday. The commitment was made during trilateral talks held Tuesday on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara between Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, according to the ministry. "The ministers shared assessments of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and agreed to maintain close coordination on North Korea-related policies, including efforts to counter Pyongyang's illicit cyberactivities," the ministry said in a release. "While reaffirming their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, they also agreed to continue efforts to maintain peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy," it added. The ministers also exchanged views on regional and global developments, including the situation in the Middle East, and plJul 8, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim pays tribute to founder on 32nd death anniversaryNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday visited the mausoleum of late state founder Kim Il-sung to mark the 32nd anniversary of his death, Pyongyang's state media said. Flanked by senior officials, Kim Jong-un paid tribute to his grandfather at midnight at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the embalmed bodies of Kim Il-sung and his son, Kim Jong-il — the current leader's father — lie in state, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "Comrade Kim Jong-un made deep bows to them, praying for their immortality," the KCNA said, referring to the two former leaders. Kim Il-sung died of heart failure on July 8, 1994, at 82, while Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack on Dec. 17, 2011, at age 69. This year's commemoration is expected to be modest by North Korean standards as the country typically reserves its biggest ceremonies for fifth and 10th anniversaries. This year's falls outside that cycle. The visit came as the North's leader has spent years building his own image as leader, leaning less on the legacies of his father and grandfather to justify his rule.Jul 8, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea issues stamps marking key treaty with China, Xi's Pyongyang visitNorth Korea has issued new stamps to mark the 65th anniversary of the signing of its mutual defense treaty with China and Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Pyongyang last month. The Pyongyang-based Korea Stamp Corp. unveiled the two stamps on its website — one commemorating the signing of the North Korea-China Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance on July 11, 1961, by the North's state founder Kim Il-sung and then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, and the other marking Xi's June 8-9 state visit to North Korea, his first in seven years. The corporation described the summit between the two leaders as "a historic occasion that opens a new era of friendship and cooperation, carrying on the tradition through generations and blazing a trail toward a more beautiful future." At the summit, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Xi vowed to strengthen bilateral ties through expanded exchanges across multiple sectors, from economy to culture, as well as more frequent high-level visits. The two leaders have since exchanged letters on the occasion of Xi's birthday on June 15 aJul 7, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea calls for vigilance as heavy rain approachesNorth Korea on Tuesday urged senior officials and citizens to make thorough preparations for heavy monsoon rains expected to hit the country this week. The Rodong Sinmun, the North's most widely read newspaper, called for "maximum vigilance' against the rain to minimize damage, arguing there is "no room" for any defenselessness or negligence, given forecasts of up to 200 millimeters of rainfall later in the day through Wednesday. "Safety measures should be thoroughly put in place to prevent any damage," the newspaper noted. It warned officials' "comfortable and slack" attitude and "opportunistic work ethic" could hamper disaster response, calling for "proactive measures" to protect both lives and property. It also reported on flood-prevention construction under way in parts of the country, including dredging riverbeds and building riverbanks. North Korean state media have recently stepped up their campaign promoting flood prevention measures amid the annual rainy season.Jul 7, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's new ambassador to Austria assumes post: state mediaNorth Korea's new ambassador to Austria has assumed the post, as he presented his credentials to Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen last week, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday. While presenting his credentials last Wednesday, Kyong Hak-min conveyed "warm greetings" from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the Austrian president, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Van der Bellen said he hoped "everything would go well in the DPRK in the future and the relations between the two countries would develop," the report said, using the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Last month, the North's foreign ministry announced that Kyong had been appointed ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Austria. He is believed to have replaced Choe Kang-il. North Korea has maintained 43 overseas diplomatic missions worldwide as of June, according to South Korea's foreign ministry. In Europe, the North operates a total of 15 diplomatic missions, including resident embassies in Austria, Germany, Russia, Britain, SwitzeJul 6, 2026By Yonhap
China's Xi vows 'long-term, stable' development of ties with N. KoreaChinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to ensure the "long-term and stable" development of his country's ties with North Korea in a reply sent to the North's leader Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang's state media reported Sunday. Xi's reply was in response to Kim's congratulatory message sent to the Chinese president on July 1 marking the 105th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Expressing his "sincere" thanks to Kim, Xi said North Korea's Workers' Party of Korea and the CCP are the "Marxist ruling parties," according to the KCNA. "I am ready ... to lead the China-DPRK relations to a long-term, sound and stable development and thus promote the stable and long-term development of the socialist cause of the two countries," the message read. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. Xi made a two-day state visit to Pyongyang on June 8-9 in his first trip to North Korea in seven years. During the visit, Kim and Xi agreed to deepen cooperation and strengthen high-level communication. NJul 5, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim observes weapons tests from naval destroyer Kang KonNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen tests of strategic cruise missiles and other weapons from a new 5,000-ton naval destroyer, ordering the warship to be commissioned into the Navy within two months, state media reported Sunday. Kim observed tests of cruise missiles, naval artillery, automatic guns and electronic warfare means from the destroyer Kang Kon on Friday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). In June last year, North Korea launched the destroyer Kang Kon, about one month after it had tipped over during its initial launch attempt. The South Korean military said Sunday it detected the North's firing of cruise weapons from the warship toward the East Sea on Friday, and Seoul and Washington are analyzing the specifics. Footage taken from various angles, released by North Korea's state-run TV, showed some 10 cruise missiles soaring into the sky in succession. The KCNA reported the latest weapons tests were part of efforts to examine and confirm an ability to "apply various kinds of weapon systems on board the destroyer in combat." The North's leader called for fJul 5, 2026By Yonhap
Trump cannot denuclearize NK, says Middle East expertAlex Vatanka, a senior fellow of the Middle East Institute, said U.S. President Donald Trump will not be able to denuclearize North Korea as Pyongyang is already a “nuclear state.” Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Korea Times on the sidelines of the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity on June 25, Vatanka said Washington would risk a war if it wants to denuclearize Pyongyang. “Trump cannot denuclearize North Korea because North Korea is already a nuclear weapon state, unless you want to take a chance and risk major war,” said Vatanka, a Middle East expert and founding director of the Iran program at the Washington-based think tank. He joined the forum as a speaker during a session titled “The Post-War Future of Middle East Peacebuilding.” The Middle East and Iran expert emphasized that North Korea’s nuclear program is now irreversible, unlike Iran’s program, which remains controllable amid ongoing negotiations with the U.S. to halt its nuclear ambitions and end the war. “I don't know how many (nuclear weapons) they (North Korea) have. They have probably many dJul 3, 2026By Park Ji-won
Unification ministry gauges public opinion on using N. Korea's official nameThe unification ministry said Friday it views growing calls to refer to North Korea by its official name as part of a broader effort to build public consensus on the issue. "The ministry is paying attention to religious leaders' call for the two Koreas to use each other's official names," deputy spokesperson Chang Yoon-jeong said at a regular briefing. "Since their announcement, we have also noted support from various sectors of society, and we will continue listening to these voices going forward," she added. The Korean Council of Religious Leaders said the previous day that genuine peace begins with "acknowledging each other as they are," urging both South and North Korea to refer to each other using their official names, respectively, the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "Respecting each other's name is the first step" toward peaceful coexistence, the group said. Kang Chang-il, vice chair of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, a presidential advisory body on unification, echoed the call. "I would first like to express my deep appreciation for the sJul 3, 2026By Yonhap
Ukraine FM reveals Russia wants swap between N. Korean POWs, UkrainiansAs Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha revealed Russia's proposal of exchanging thousands of Ukrainian civilians in Moscow's custody for the North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) held in Ukraine, Seoul is being pushed to offer increased support to ensure that the POWs will be transferred to South Korea. On Monday, Sybiha met with officials from a South Korean think tank, revealing that Kyiv has been asked to trade captured North Korean POWs for Ukrainian citizens held in Russia. He visited Seoul from Monday to Tuesday and engaged in bilateral talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Tuesday. “When Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had a meeting with Yoon Young-kwan, chairman of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies on Monday, Sybiha said Ukraine was told by Russia to do a prisoners of war (POWs) swap by exchanging two North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine for thousands of Ukrainian citizens currently held by Russia,” a source familiar with the matter told The Korea Times, Thursday. “But the Ukrainian foreign minister reaffirmed that the Ukrainian governmJul 2, 2026By Park Ji-won
