N. Korea's Kim calls for active role of young generation in party affairsNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for a greater role of the young people in achieving national development, state media reported Sunday, following a meeting of the country's largest youth group last week. Kim made the call Saturday while meeting with the participants of the 11th congress of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kim underscored the need for the younger generation to play a more proactive and courageous role in advancing party objectives, citing what he described as "new and enormous tasks" facing the party and the revolution. He insisted that "the noble traits and iron-willed combat efficiency of the young people unprecedented in any other country are a proud symbol of our national power," adding that their patriotism and enthusiasm revolution are now evident across all sectors of socialist construction. Kim was accompanied by Kim Jae-ryong, Ri Il-hwan and Ju Chang-il, secretaries of the central committee of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), among others, the KCNA said. The youth league was hostMay 3, 2026By Yonhap
Russia blocks release of North Korean defector movie starring Kim Min-haThe Russian government blocked the screening of a movie about a North Korean defector a week before its scheduled release, according to the film’s Moscow-based distributor. "Hana Korea," a movie inspired by a North Korean defector’s account of adjusting to life in South Korea, was denied a license required for screening, distribution company U Films said in a statement Thursday. The specific reason for the denial is unclear, U Films said, with authorities citing the Russian culture ministry’s regulation allowing for broad refusals under unspecified provisions of federal law. “We are very sorry that Russian audiences will not be able to watch this movie legally,” the distributor said. U Films unveiled the film’s trailer on YouTube on April 6. It was originally scheduled for release April 30. South Korean films unrelated to defection continue to be screened in Russia. The Russian culture ministry didn’t respond to NK News’ request for comment at the time of publication. The film, directed by Danish filmmaker Frederik Schøllberg, tracks the life of Hyesun (a pseudonym), who nApr 29, 2026By NK News
Bukhan or Joson? Seoul debates official name of North Korea“I have never thought of or called North Korea as 'Joson' in my life. Joson for me is the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910),” said Lee Ye-seul, 37, a South Korean office worker. Like Lee, most South Koreans would never consider calling North Korea by its official name — the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or "Joson" in its shortened Korean form. The familiar term here is "Bukhan," meaning North Korea in Korean. North Korea, for its part, calls itself Joson or the Republic and refers to its southern counterpart as "Namjoson," meaning South Joson. That ingrained habit is now the subject of a formal public debate. The Ministry of Unification has opened discussions on what South Korea should officially call its northern neighbor, after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young spent recent months consistently using the North's official name of Joson. Chung pointed to a reciprocal shift already underway in the North, where the former designation of Namjoson has gradually given way to the South's official name, "Daehanminguk," or its abbreviation "Hanguk." The move appears to align with the gApr 29, 2026By Park Ji-won
N. Korea's Kim attends concert marking 80th founding anniversary of key military bandNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a concert marking the 80th founding anniversary of a key military band, calling it a symbol of the country's armed forces, state media reported Wednesday. The concert was held the previous day to commemorate the founding anniversary of the Central Military Band of the Ministry of National Defense, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The event was also attended by key military and party officials, including Defense Minister No Kwang-chol and Kim Song-gi, director of the military's general political bureau. The North Korean leader praised the military band as displaying a "tremendous might incomparable with any military hardware," noting it has encouraged the Korean People's Army (KPA) with revolutionary military music for decades. Kim "highly appreciated that the Central Military Band ... is the face of our state and symbol of the KPA," according to the KCNA. Kim has recently ramped up inspections of military units to encourage troops in an apparent bid to boost internal solidarity on the occasion of the country's key anniversariApr 29, 2026By Yonhap
Calling N. Korea by its official name subject of public debate: ministryThe unification ministry said Tuesday the question of whether South Korea should use North Korea's official name is a matter that warrants broad public debate amid criticism that such a reference constitutes a violation of the Constitution. The debate was ignited last month when Unification Minister Chung Dong-young used North Korea's official name at an academic forum for the first time. South Korea currently refers to the North as "North Korea" rather than its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or "Joson" in Korean, as Seoul does not recognize its ties with North Korea as state-to-state relations under the Constitution. The use of North Korea's official name remains contentious as well, as critics argue that it amounts to accepting North Korea's "two-state policy" antagonizing the South. "It will be determined through public deliberation via various channels," an official at the unification ministry told reporters on condition of anonymity. Chung has, on various occasions, suggested Seoul follow Pyongyang's lead in using the other side's official name. He said PyoApr 28, 2026By Yonhap
Seoul's surveillance of Pyongyang unaffected by US intelligence sharing restrictions: sourceSouth Korea's surveillance of North Korea has not been disrupted by U.S. restrictions on intelligence sharing about the North following the unification minister's disclosure of Pyongyang's nuclear facility site in Kusong, a government source said Tuesday. The source acknowledged some "partial" restrictions on intelligence sharing from the U.S. but said Seoul's satellite assets have kept its intelligence gathering capabilities intact. According to the source, a military surveillance satellite launched in November is set to become fully operational this month following deployment tests, bringing the total number of surveillance satellites capable of distinguishing individual vehicles on the ground to five. In addition, Arirang 7, the country's multipurpose satellite launched in December, is scheduled for deployment in July. The satellite is equipped with an ultrahigh-resolution electro-optical camera and an infrared sensor, offering high-quality imagery for environmental and disaster monitoring. The remarks came after Washington reportedly complained about Unification Minister Chung Dong-yApr 28, 2026By Yonhap
S. Korean envoy calls N. Korea's nukes 'most urgent' challenge to nonproliferation regimeSouth Korea's top nuclear envoy has stressed the need to swiftly resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, calling it the "most urgent" challenge to the nonproliferation regime, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. Jeong Yeon-doo, vice foreign minister for diplomatic strategy and intelligence, made the remarks in a keynote speech during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) conference held in New York on Monday (U.S. time), according to the ministry. "The DPRK is the only case that has benefited from the NPT regime, announced its withdrawal, and openly continued the development of nuclear weapons, thereby remaining the most pressing challenge to the nonproliferation regime," Jeong said. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. Jeong called on the international community to send a clear message that only a return to the treaty can ensure security and prosperity. The official also urged Russia "to cease its illegal military cooperation" with the North, which violates United Nations Security Council resolutions, and "to fulfill its responsibiliApr 28, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's executions for watching S. Korean cultural content surged during COVID-19 pandemic: reportExecutions rose sharply in North Korea for offenses including watching South Korean cultural content during the COVID-19 pandemic, a report showed Tuesday. The report, released by the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), a Seoul-based NGO, examines executions and death sentences over the 13 years of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's rule from 2011 to 2024. Of the 144 confirmed executions during the period, 65 occurred after the North closed its borders at the start of the pandemic. The findings are based on testimonies from 265 North Korean defectors and reporting from five media organizations covering North Korea through in-country contacts. Executions had declined from 2015 to 2019 amid heightened international scrutiny following the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on human rights in North Korea, according to the report. But they surged again after the COVID-19 border closure in 2020. Over the five years that followed, executions and death sentences rose by 116.7 percent and the number of individuals affected also rose by 247.7 percent. Notably, executions linked to South KoApr 28, 2026By Yonhap
Ex-President Moon urges N. Korean leader to return to dialogue on summit anniversaryFormer President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to resume inter-Korean talks, calling it the "fastest and safest" way to overcome the current deadlock. Moon made the call during a ceremony held at the National Assembly to commemorate the eighth anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration, a landmark agreement signed by Moon and Kim during their summit at the truce village of Panmunjom in April 2018. "I ask you to return to the spirit of the April 27 Panmunjom summit and open the door to dialogue, and to work together with the Lee Jae Myung government to once again build a vision of 'peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula' and to live as a proud member of the international community," Moon said. "Inter-Korean dialogue is the fastest and safest breakthrough to overcome the current deadlock." Moon also stressed that Pyongyang cannot be ensured "genuine security" by continuing to bolster its military capabilities and opting for isolation. "Engaging in communication and expanding exchanges with the outside world, instead, is the most effective way to safeguardApr 27, 2026By Yonhap
US restricts intelligence-sharing with S. Korea on N. Korea's nuclear facilities: sourcesThe United States has restricted South Korea's access to intelligence related to North Korea's nuclear facilities in protest over the unification minister's disclosure of the country's uranium enrichment facility in Kusong, sources said Monday. The South Korean military has claimed its readiness posture remains unhindered by Washington's decision, but concerns remain over a potential vacuum in Seoul's surveillance capabilities against the North. The U.S. has restricted information sharing with Seoul on the North's nuclear facilities collected via satellites, including on a facility located in the western city of Kusong. The move came as Unification Minister Chung Dong-young referred to North Korea's Kusong region as one of the three sites hosting the country's uranium enrichment facilities at a parliamentary session last month in a rare public disclosure of information on North Korea. The U.S. is known to have complained about Chung's disclosure of the information, which it believes was based on intelligence shared by Washington. The unification ministry said last week Chung made the remApr 27, 2026By Yonhap
