N. Korea says 'proud' economic results achieved in Q1 after cabinet meetingNorth Korea has held a plenary cabinet meeting and concluded the country achieved "proud" economic achievements in the first quarter of this year, state media reported Friday. The meeting was convened the previous day, presided over by Premier Park Thae-song, to assess the implementation of the country's economic plans for the first quarter, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Vice Premier and Chairman of the State Planning Commission Pak Jong-gun reported to the meeting that "Proud outcomes have been achieved from the implementation of public economic plans in the first quarter," the KCNA said. He also highlighted the need to combat "passive" and "self-preserving" attitudes among workers at workplaces, while childcare policies and farming issues were also discussed during the meeting, the report said. In a report in January, South Korea's Hyundai Research Institute assessed that North Korea's economy appeared to have grown last year, marking the second consecutive year of growth. However, the growth was likely "limited" due to internal and external constraints, it said. SApr 4, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korean troops suffer over 5,000 casualties in Kursk region: British defense ministryNorth Korean troops have incurred more than 5,000 casualties while fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia's western front-line region of Kursk, Britain's defense ministry has said. As of last month, approximately a third of the total casualties had been killed in action, according to an intelligence update posted on the ministry's X account Friday. The casualty figure amounts to nearly half of the initial 11,000 troops North Korea sent to Russia last year in support of its war against Ukraine. "Significant DPRK casualty rates have almost certainly been sustained primarily through large, highly attritional dismounted assaults," the ministry said, using the acronym of the North's official name — the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It noted North Korean and Russian forces have made territorial gains in Kursk in recent weeks, adding the North's operations have been confined to the region and any decision to deploy to Ukrainian territory would require a sign-off from the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last week, South Korea's military said North Korea isApr 2, 2025By Yonhap
Top US general nominee calls N. Korea 'immediate security challenge,' backs trilateral cooperation with JapanU.S. President Donald Trump's pick for the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman described North Korea's nuclear and missile programs as an "immediate security challenge" on Tuesday, while supporting trilateral security cooperation among the United States, South Korea and Japan. During a Senate confirmation hearing, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John Caine made the remarks, stressing that America faces an "unprecedented, rising global risk" as he pointed to potential adversaries of North Korea, China, Russia and Iran. "North Korea's long-range missile and nuclear programs represent an immediate security challenge," he said in a written statement submitted in advance to the Senate Armed Services Committee. "If confirmed, I will assess the U.S. military presence in Japan and South Korea and make recommendations to the SecDef and POTUS." SecDef and POTUS stand for the secretary of defense and the president of the U.S., respectively. He was responding to a question regarding how U.S. troop reductions in South Korea and Japan would affect the security situation in the Indo-Pacific should such reductionApr 2, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea denounces U.S., Japan's munitions cooperation, vows to bolster deterrenceNorth Korea on Wednesday denounced the United States and Japan's latest agreement to co-produce an advanced air-to-air missile for raising strategic instability in the Asia-Pacific region, vowing to bolster its powerful deterrence against such a threat. The North's defense ministry issued the condemnation after the U.S. and Japan on Sunday announced the early launch of a co-production project for the AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile during U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to Japan. The vice general director of the armament bureau at the North's ministry said AIM-120 will be another "co-produced weapon" of the U.S.-Japan military alliance, noting their military ties are turning "offensive and aggressive from A to Z," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "Their cooperation in the field of munitions industry is being accelerated in direct proportion to it. It is not a secret that such moves are aimed at militarily deterring the regional countries," the official said in a statement carried by the KCNA. The official also warned North Korea will activeApr 2, 2025By Yonhap
China's top envoy to N. Korea visits cemetery of fallen Chinese troops during Korean WarChina's top envoy to Pyongyang visited the cemetery in an eastern North Korean province and paid his tribute to Chinese troops who fell during the 1950-53 Korean War to mark the 75th anniversary of their participation in the conflict, the Chinese Embassy in the North said Tuesday. The visit came amid growing signs of improvement in bilateral relations between North Korea and China that have been cooled in the midst of Pyongyang's close alignment with Moscow. Ambassador Wang Yajun headed a group of around 60 people, including embassy staff members, on a visit to the Changjin Lake Chinese People's Volunteer Army Martyrs' Cemetery in South Hamgyong Province on Sunday, according to the website of the Chinese Embassy. The visit was aimed at paying tribute to the fallen Chinese troops during a two-week conflict that took place in late 1950 near Changjin Lake, one of the major Korean War battle zones in the North. "China and North Korea joined hands to repel aggressors and overcome the dangerous situation," Wang said in his eulogy. "The Chinese troops ultimately completed their mission." North KApr 1, 2025By Yonhap
Trump signals interest in restarting talks with NK, calling it ‘big nuclear nation’U.S. President Donald Trump signaled his interest Monday (local time) in restarting talks with North Korea, calling it a “nuclear nation” and revealing there is communication with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. His remarks came in response to a reporter’s question about whether the U.S. may reach out to North Korea. Calling North Korea a “big nuclear nation” and Kim a “smart guy,” Trump said, “We have a great relationship, and yeah, we have ... there is communication.” However, he did not elaborate on how his administration is communicating with the reclusive regime. Since his inauguration on Jan. 20, Trump has repeatedly referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power,” raising concern that the U.S. could be moving toward recognizing the North as a nuclear-armed state. However, experts said Trump's latest comments suggest his willingness to engage with Pyongyang rather than indicating any changes in U.S. policy. “Although we cannot rule out the possibility of the U.S. holding ‘unofficial’ talks with North Korea behind the scenes, Trump is expressing his wish toApr 1, 2025By Kwak Yeon-soo
Russia's party delegation arrives in NK amid deepening bilateral cooperationA delegation of Russia's Communist Party has arrived in North Korea, Pyongyang's state media said Tuesday, as both nations have been deepening cooperation in the military and other fields. The delegation, led by Kazbek Taysaev, secretary of the Russian party's central committee, arrived in Pyongyang on Monday, the Korean Central News Agency said, without disclosing other details, including the purpose of the visit. The visit came as North Korea and Russia have expanded the scope of cooperation in the military, economy and other areas since they forged a mutual defense treaty in June last year. "As the Communist Party is Russia's opposition party, (the delegation's trip) is seen as part of symbolic exchanges of their traditional and friendly ties," an official at Seoul's unification ministry, told reporters. The Communist Party is Russia's second-largest party after the ruling United Russia. Taysaev also serves as head of the Russia-North Korea friendship parliamentary group of the State Duma. The party delegation's visit came as Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said last week that pApr 1, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea holds 1st large-scale gathering of instructors for children's unionNorth Korea has hosted the first large-scale workshop of instructors for a nationwide children's union, emphasizing their role in fostering young people's loyalty to leader Kim Jong-un, state media reported Monday. The large-scale lecture for instructors from across the country was held in Pyongyang from Wednesday to Saturday for the first time in history to urge them to fulfill their responsibilities in nurturing "youth revolutionaries and patriots," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The report was referring to a nationwide children's union, known as the "Red Necktie" unit, which students aged 7-16 are required to join. Established in 1946, the union is estimated to have 3 million members. The KCNA said the event was held at Kim's instruction and that his remarks were delivered during the meeting, though no details were disclosed. Issues discussed during the lecture included instructors' role as political protectors tasked with nurturing children as youth "revolutionaries and patriots" who remain endlessly faithful to North Korean leader Kim, the report said. "Children should bMar 31, 2025By yonhap
N. Korea-Russia relations strengthen despite Ukraine peace talksNorth Korea and Russia’s partnership is showing signs of deepening even as Moscow participates in peace talks to end its war in Ukraine, fueling speculation that their military cooperation could persist well beyond the end of fighting. Their military ties, solidified during a surprise summit between their leaders in September 2023, have been rooted in mutual strategic interests. Russia has relied on North Korea for ammunition and troop support in its invasion of Ukraine, while Pyongyang is believed to have received military technology in return. Despite expectations that their transactional partnership would weaken after the war, analysts suggest their bond is only growing stronger, even as ceasefire negotiations between Russia and the United States to end the three-year conflict in Ukraine are seeing some progress. "Throughout the war, North Korea has proven to be Russia’s most reliable — if not the only — ally. No other country has openly sided with Russia and sent troops in support," said Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. "Even iMar 30, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Trump says he has not discussed Russia's purchase of weapons from N. Korea with PutinU.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he had not discussed Moscow's purchase of weapons from North Korea during his recent phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid continuing concerns about a deepening military alignment between Pyongyang and Moscow. "Not about specifically that. No," Trump said during a press availability at the White House. In the midst of the protracted war in Ukraine, North Korea has supported Russia through troop deployments and supplies of munitions and ballistic missiles, raising concerns that such military support could further prolong the war with security implications for both Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Asked about what an important issue is regarding the war in Ukraine, Trump said he is making "all issues" important, pointing to a matteers, including Ukrainian children held in Russia and human losses on the battleground. (Yonhap)Mar 29, 2025By yonhap
