N. Korea commissions 5,000-ton destroyer; Kim expects dramatic boost in naval powerNorth Korea has commissioned a new 5,000-ton destroyer with leader Kim Jong-un voicing expectations that the Navy's combat capabilities will be strengthened to a level "admirable beyond imagination," state media reported Wednesday. Kim made the remarks the previous day at a commissioning ceremony for the "new-type multi-mission" destroyer Choe Hyon at the western port of Nampho, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The ceremony came as the North unveiled the Choe Hyon destroyer in April last year in an effort to enhance the country's naval power. North Korea has conducted weapons tests from the Choe Hyon in recent months ahead of its commissioning. In a congratulatory speech, Kim said the destroyer was confirmed to possess "the most perfect, complex operational and combat capability," according to the KCNA. "The combat capability of our Navy will grow to be admirable beyond imagination," he was quoted as saying by the report. Referring to the North Korean navy's past reputation as the weakest branch of its military, Kim said, "Things have changed obviously now." Kim describeJun 24, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's border reinforcement move not violation of armistice: ex-UNC officialA former United Nations Command (UNC) official has said North Korea's intensified border fencing is not a violation of the Armistice Agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War, assessing it as "construction and maintenance activities." Michael MacArthur Bosack, the former deputy secretary of the UNC Military Armistice Commission, wrote the message on his social media, as North Korean troops have been building the fences very close to the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) separating the two Koreas. "In my time at UNCMAC, I saw no evidence of the KPA boundary hardening activities being hostile in nature," Bosack wrote on X on Monday, using the acronym of the Korean People's Army, the North's military. North Korea reportedly installed barbed wire fences just 80-90 meters from the inter-Korean border, clearing land to plant mines as close as 5-10 meters to the MDL, according to local media reports. On whether Pyongyang's move constitutes a violation of the armistice, Bosack claimed the activities are "construction and maintenance" work, noting that the South Korean army also does the same thJun 23, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea vows to expand nuclear arsenal at key party meeting: KCNANorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for efforts to further increase his country's nuclear assets "with a goal of overtaking the world," Pyongyang's state media reported Tuesday. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) convened the second plenary meeting of its ninth central committee for three days from Saturday, presided over by leader Kim, to assess how the country's policies have fared in the first half of the year and review the agenda set at a major party congress in February. The meeting reaffirmed North Korea's commitment to expanding its nuclear forces, describing them as "the core of the military sovereignty" of the nation and "the pivot of implementing the strategy for deterring or fighting a war." The report said the plenary session unanimously decided that "to thoroughly exercise the position of a nuclear weapons state is the most correct and unique way to actively and confidently cope with the unpredictable international military and political situation getting complicated in multiple ways." "With the nuclear technoJun 23, 2026By Yonhap
Kakao Map showing detailed North Korean geographical data goes viral onlineSouth Korean map service Kakao Map’s detailed geographical data of North Korea went viral online recently, as the information had previously been blocked on South Korean apps. Many users on X, formerly Twitter, shared posts Monday saying they found it surprising that Kakao Map includes detailed data about North Korea. “Kakao Map shows us Pyongyang. I feel like I have been there,” a user wrote. The reactions reflect the decade-long censorship against North Korean information. Due to the fact that the two Koreas are technically at war and other political reasons, South Koreans have long been prevented from accessing information about the North. For instance, if a South Korean comes into contact with someone from the North, they are required to report it to the government. A Korea Times reporter using Kakao Map found that anyone can zoom in and zoom out to see the names of North Korean mountains, railway stops and universities. While the reporter was not able to search the app by searching place names, by simply moving the cursor, details on the map could easily be reviewed. Kakao, theJun 22, 2026By Park Ji-won
N. Korea blames US, West for 'revival of Nazism,' defends Russia over Ukraine warNorth Korea condemned the United States and other Western countries Monday, accusing them of fueling concerns over the revival of Nazism, on the anniversary of Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. In an article carried by the Korean Central News Agency, the North claimed that "modern-day Nazi forces" have reemerged, heightening global concern over what it described as a challenge to the future of humanity. "The danger of neo-Nazism is being highlighted more seriously through the current situation in Ukraine," the report said. "It cannot be separated from the schemes of the U.S. and the West, which have strongly defended and supported Ukraine on the international stage." The North also vowed to "firmly thwart the imperialists' attempts to revive Nazism" in order to "safeguard sovereignty, security and international justice." The remarks appeared aimed at justifying Russia's invasion of Ukraine while showcasing solidarity between Pyongyang and Moscow. Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. An estimated 27 million Soviet soldiers and civilians were killed during WorlJun 22, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea skips reports on World Cup matches involving S. Korea, US, JapanNorth Korea's state media excluded games involving South Korea, the United States and Japan from its apparently unauthorized coverage of the ongoing FIFA World Cup matches. The North's state-run Korean Central Television aired four- to six-minute broadcasts on the results of the World Cup group-stage matches at the end of its daily evening newscasts from Monday through Thursday but excluded the results of games involving the three countries. The North, however, aired footage that showed pitch-side advertising boards for South Korean and U.S. companies, such as Hyundai Motor, The Coca-Cola Company and McDonald's. In the past, the North often blurred images related to South Korea and the U.S. in broadcasts of major sports events, such as advertising boards of companies from the two countries and the South Korean national flag. The North Korean broadcaster included major scenes from the World Cup matches in its coverage, raising suspicions the North aired them without authorization. North Korean state media outlets are not among the media rights licensees authorized by FIFA to broadcast theJun 21, 2026By Yonhap
Unification ministry vows to find 'phased, viable' path to denuclearizationThe unification ministry said Friday its stance on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula remains unchanged, vowing to seek "phased, viable" solutions. The ministry made the remarks a day after North Korea reiterated the stance of not giving up its nuclear weapons. "The government has no change in its position to seek phased, viable solutions for denuclearization, which are mutually acceptable based on the reality," Chang Yoon-jeong, deputy spokesperson at the ministry, told a press briefing. The previous night, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, lashed out at a Group of Seven statement released Wednesday at the summit in France, which reaffirmed their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea under U.N. Security Council resolutions. Kim called Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal its "core interests" and denuclearization a "line of no retreat that can never be crossed." Jang said Kim's statement appeared to be a reiteration of a position she had already staked out earlier this month, when she similarly declared the nuclear program centralJun 19, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea vows deeper ties with Russia on 2nd anniv. of signing key treatyNorth Korea on Friday marked the second anniversary of the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with Russia, calling it "an essential legal weapon" that promises "a new global order." The Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers' Party of Korea's newspaper, said the pact — signed in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024, during Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit — had given the two countries a firm foundation to weather "a confusing and volatile international situation." The treaty included a mutual defense clause committing each side to assist the other in the event of aggression — an agreement that has since seen North Korea send troops to fight alongside Russian forces against Ukraine. Friday's piece cited a new hospital under construction, restored air links between Pyongyang and Moscow, and the deployment of soldiers to Russia as part of the pact's fruits. North Korea pledged to "actively support" the Russian government's policies based on the treaty, calling deeper ties across all sectors its "steadfast position." Separately, it also reported that Vladimir TopekhaJun 19, 2026By Yonhap
NK leader's sister slams G7 call for denuclearization, defends nuclear arms as 'means of self-defense'The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday denounced international calls for denuclearization, describing the country's nuclear weapons as its "core interests" and denuclearization as a "line of no retreat that can never be crossed," Pyongyang's state media reported. In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Yo-jong criticized the United States and its allies for making what she called "anachronistic" demands for North Korea's denuclearization. Kim's remarks came in response to a joint statement issued by leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations at their summit in Paris on Wednesday, which reaffirmed their commitment to the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea in line with U.N. Security Council resolutions. Dismissing the G7's demand outright, she said denuclearization was "an irreversibly finalized agenda" that "can never be realized." "Nuclear weapons are powerful means of defending sovereignty and cornerstone for ensuring peace, defined by the law of the DPRK," she said, claiming its nuclear arsenal is "a means for self-defensJun 18, 2026By Yonhap
Vice N. Korean FM vows deeper cultural cooperation with China at Chinese Embassy eventA senior North Korean diplomat has pledged to deepen cultural exchanges and cooperation with China during an event hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang, according to the embassy Thursday. The reception held on Wednesday to mark the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations was attended by North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong, officials from the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and foreign diplomats stationed in Pyongyang, among others. In his remarks shared at the event, Kim said North Korea is willing to work with China to elevate bilateral friendly and cooperative relations to expand cultural exchanges, taking the recent summit in Pyongyang between the leaders of the two countries as an opportunity, according to the embassy. Proposed by China and co-sponsored by over 80 countries, the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations, which falls on June 10, was established through its adoption at the United Nations General Assembly in 2024. Kim also said the establishment of the U.N.-recognized observance day has contributed to promoting exchanges among countriJun 18, 2026By Yonhap
