N. Korea's parliament elects new judges of highest courtNorth Korea's parliament has elected new judges of the country's highest court at a plenary meeting of its standing committee, state media reported Friday. The Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) held its first plenary meeting of its new 15th term Thursday, presided over by Jo Yong-won, chairman of the SPA presidium, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). During the session, the committee elected new judges and "people's assessors" for the Supreme Court. People's assessors refer to ordinary citizens chosen to participate in trials with the same voting rights as regular judges. The report did not list the specific names of those elected. The SPA presidium also "unanimously" passed a new law regarding academic degrees and titles, though no details were provided. Under North Korea's constitution, the SPA serves as the country's parliament and highest organ of state power, overseeing legislation and the organization of the executive and judicial branches.Jun 12, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim reaffirms alliance with Russia in letter to PutinNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged unwavering support for Moscow in a congratulatory letter to President Vladimir Putin marking Russia Day, Pyongyang's state media reported Friday. Kim extended his "warmest congratulations" to Russia on its national day, which commemorates the 1990 declaration of Russian state sovereignty, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The two countries' relationship, Kim wrote, is being "further strengthened into sincere and devoted relations of comradely trust and alliance, opening a new chapter of history," the report said. He credited the growing bond to both sides honoring their obligations under the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty the two leaders signed at their Pyongyang summit in June 2024. "It is the invariable will and stand of mine and the DPRK government to fully support the internal and external policies of Moscow and always join the Russian Federation," he added. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. The letter, dated June 12, was delivered by North Korea's AmbassadorJun 12, 2026By Yonhap
Seoul, Washington reaffirm goal of NK denuclearization at key nuclear deterrence meetingSouth Korea and the United States reaffirmed Thursday their shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea at a key bilateral meeting on U.S. extended deterrence against North Korean threats. The sixth meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) took place in Seoul earlier in the day, as Pyongyang has intensified efforts to secure its status as a nuclear-armed state and vowed never to abandon its nuclear weapons program. "The two sides agreed to continue advancing the activities of the NCG in order to strengthen the alliance and extended deterrence amid North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities and a changing security environment," a joint statement issued at the end of Thursday's meeting said. "South Korea and the U.S. reaffirmed their shared goal of denuclearization of North Korea," it added. Leading the NCG meeting were Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Kim Hong-cheol and Robert Soofer, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of war for nuclear deterrence and countering weapons of mass destruction. The mention of North Korea's denuclearization draws attention as China made no refJun 11, 2026By Yonhap
Was Xi's stance on China-North Korea military ties also a message for US, Russia?North Korea is gaining in strategic importance for China to counter the United States, but Pyongyang may refrain from intensifying military ties with Beijing, analysts say. During his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said both sides should "enhance exchanges in diplomacy, law enforcement and military affairs", according to state news agency Xinhua. Despite pledges from both sides to strengthen strategic communications, denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula was not included in their statements on the meeting, a sharp contrast with Xi's previous visit in 2019. Also in a departure from their previous summits, Xi and Kim were accompanied by their defence ministers, Dong Jun and No Kwang-chol. It is the first time since 1992 that a Chinese defence minister has accompanied a Chinese president to North Korea. It is also the first known case of a senior Chinese defence official visiting the country since Miao Hua, then-director of the Chinese Central Military Commission's Political Work Department, visited in 2019. While a Chinese military deJun 11, 2026By SCMP
Lee's peace policy can improve N. Korea's human rights conditions: unification ministrySeoul's push to seek peaceful coexistence with North Korea is a path that can ultimately and effectively improve human rights conditions in the North, the unification ministry said Thursday. "The Lee Jae Myung government believes fostering inter-Korean peace and expanding dialogue, exchange and cooperation are more effective in bringing about real improvements in North Korean human rights," a ministry official told reporters. The remarks came a day after Lee and European Union (EU) leaders met in Brussels and issued a joint statement urging Pyongyang to cooperate with the international community on human rights. "We recognize that a substantial improvement in the DPRK human rights situation is essential and call on the DPRK to allow access to international and humanitarian organizations," the joint statement said, using North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The call for Pyongyang to open its doors has prompted questions about whether Seoul was taking a harder line toward the North. The ministry official said it was not, and that the statement was fully coJun 11, 2026By Yonhap
Unification advisory vice chief expects US-NK talks around US midtermsKang Chang-il, senior vice chair of a presidential advisory on unification policy, said he expected talks between North Korea and the United States will resume in the second half of this year, around the U.S. midterm elections in November. “North Korea and the U.S. will likely hold talks around the Trump administration’s midterm elections, potentially late this year or early next year,” Kang, senior vice chair of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC), said Wednesday at his first press conference since taking office on April 17. The PUAC is a presidential advisory body mandated by the Constitution to promote peaceful unification through policy consultation, consensus building and international outreach. President Lee Jae Myung serves as an ex officio chairperson of the body. Kang, a veteran four-term lawmaker who previously served as ambassador to Japan, added that “Washington had no room to maneuver due to the war with Iran ... Once the U.S.-Israel war with Iran ends, the North Korea issue will take center stage as the last major unresolved global conflict. The focusJun 10, 2026By Park Ji-won
N. Korea's main newspaper extensively covers Kim-Xi summitNorth Korea's Rodong Sinmun continued its sweeping coverage of Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Pyongyang for a second straight day Wednesday, dedicating four of its six pages to the summit between Xi and its leader Kim Jong-un. The official newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, the main daily accessible to the North Korean public, carried detailed accounts of Xi's second and final day in Pyongyang, including his luncheon with Kim and his departure for China later that day. It also covered the two leaders' tribute at the Friendship Tower and their tour of a party education institution. On its fifth page, the paper published a letter from Xi to Kim expressing gratitude for the summit and the hospitality shown during his stay. The edition featured 52 photos related to the summit. The previous day's edition had gone even further, expanding from the usual six pages to ten for extensive coverage of the visit's first day, running 80 photographs.Jun 10, 2026By Yonhap
Unification ministry takes note of Xi's call for expanded military ties with PyongyangSouth Korea's unification ministry on Tuesday flagged Chinese President Xi Jinping's call for expanded military cooperation between Beijing and Pyongyang as something worth watching closely. "It was the first known case in which the subject has been raised publicly," a ministry official said, adding Seoul was monitoring the situation for any developments. At Monday's summit between Xi and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Xi said China remained firmly committed to protecting North Korea's interests and expanding practical cooperation across a broad range of areas, including the economy, trade, military, science and healthcare, according to China's Xinhua News Agency. North Korea's media made no mention of military cooperation. The official also noted Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun had accompanied Xi, unlike the Chinese leader's 2019 visit to Pyongyang, when the defense minister was not part of the Chinese delegation. The inclusion this time, the official suggested, may signal Beijing's intentions. On the absence of any reference to North Korea's nuclear programs or the Korean PeninsulaJun 9, 2026By Yonhap
Seoul reaffirms goal of denuclearizing Korean Peninsula following Kim-Xi summitThe South Korean foreign ministry on Tuesday reaffirmed its goal of denuclearizing North Korea, following a summit between the leaders of Pyongyang and Beijing in which the subject apparently was not discussed. In their summit held Monday in Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to expand cooperation in various fields, according to Pyongyang's state media. Notably absent, however, was any mention of nuclear issues or the broader situation on the Korean Peninsula. During a regular press briefing in Seoul, foreign ministry spokesperson Park Il highlighted that the denuclearization of North Korea "remains a consistent goal of the international community." "Our government will continue to uphold the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula without wavering," Park said. He emphasized that China has repeatedly reaffirmed that its position on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula remains unchanged. "We also note that the United States and China confirmed during their summit last month that the denuclearization of North Korea is a shared objective,Jun 9, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea, China vow new era of ties in Kim-Xi summit: KCNANorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to expand cooperation in various fields, pledging to usher in a new era in bilateral relations, Pyongyang's state media reported Tuesday. Kim and Xi reached the agreement during their summit in Pyongyang the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), as the Chinese leader was making his first state visit to the North in seven years. The two leaders agreed to put the two nations' friendly relations "on a more solid basis" and expand cooperation in politics, the economy, culture and other fields, according to the report. Kim and Xi agreed to "further strengthen the strategic communication through high-level visits between the two parties and two countries ... in order to open a new chapter of the development of the DPRK-China relations," the KCNA said. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name. North Korea and China also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting each other's sovereignty, security and development interests. Kim said strengthening tiesJun 9, 2026By Yonhap
