Defense minister denies reports USFK commander protested over alleged leak of US intel on NK nuke facilityDefense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Wednesday denied recent media reports that the top commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) lodged a protest over the unification minister's public disclosure of classified U.S. information about a hidden North Korean nuclear facility. Speaking before lawmakers at a parliamentary session, Ahn dismissed speculation that the U.S. is scaling back its intelligence-sharing with Seoul on North Korea in protest of the alleged leak. "That is not true at all," Ahn said, responding to a question by Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party. "It would be inappropriate in light of South Korea-U.S. military diplomacy for the USFK commander to have lodged protest with South Korea's defense minister." Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has come under fire after he referred to the North's Kusong region as one of the locations home to its uranium enrichment facilities in a parliamentary session last month. Local media have reported that USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson protested to Ahn over Chung's remarks, a claim that has also been echoed by a main oppositionApr 22, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kusong comes into spotlight as little-known but long-suspected nuclear facility siteNorth Korea's western city of Kusong, which came into the spotlight after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's controversial reference to it as a nuclear facility site, has long been suspected of housing uranium enrichment facilities, though it is not widely known. Chung described Kusong, along with Yongbyon and Kangson, as sites housing North Korea's uranium enrichment facilities during a parliamentary committee session last month, in a rare disclosure by a government official identifying the western city as a nuclear facility site. The United States immediately protested the remarks, which it believes were based on intelligence from Washington, and has partially suspended intelligence sharing on North Korea with Seoul in protest, accusing Chung of leaking classified information. Neither Seoul nor Washington had officially recognized Kusong as a nuclear facility site in North Korea, identifying only Yongbyon and Kangson. Since the mid-2010s, suspicions had been raised that Kusong, 50 kilometers northwest of the Yongbyon nuclear complex, is also home to a uranium enrichment facility uApr 22, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korean, Russian public security chiefs discuss closer cooperationNorth Korea's public security minister and Russia's interior minister have held talks on boosting exchanges and cooperation on law enforcement, the North's state media said Wednesday, amid deepening bilateral ties between the two nations. Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev and North Korea's Public Security Minister Pang Tu-sop shared their countries' experiences and accomplishments on law enforcement during their talks in Pyongyang the previous day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Also discussed was the expansion of exchanges and cooperation between the two ministries, the KCNA reported. The talks came as Pyongyang and Moscow have deepened their alignment following the North's troop deployment in support of Russia's war against Ukraine, expanding cooperation across various fields, including the military, the economy and public security. Russia's interior ministry is in charge of public security. A delegation, led by the Russian minister, arrived in Pyongyang on a working visit Monday. The KCNA also said the two ministries signed a 2026-2027 road map for delegationApr 22, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea, Russia hold ceremony to link cross-border bridgeNorth Korea and Russia held a ceremony Tuesday to mark the linking of a cross-border road bridge over the Tumen River, the Russian Embassy in North Korea said, adding the bridge is set for completion in mid-June. The two countries began constructing the road bridge in April last month following a summit meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2024 in Pyongyang. Tuesday's ceremony, held in the border region to mark the linking of the bridge, was attended virtually by Russian Transport Minister Andrey Sergeyevich Nikitin and Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, who serves as the Russian chair of the bilateral committee on trade and economic cooperation, according to the embassy's Telegram channel. The embassy said the bridge is set for final completion on June 19. In a separate statement, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova described the bridge as strengthening friendship with North Korea and symbolizing the neighbors' aspiration to expand regional cooperation, adding that it will boost productive dialogue and eApr 21, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea appoints new ambassador to Britain, IndonesiaNorth Korea has appointed new ambassadors to Britain and Indonesia, the North's foreign ministry said Tuesday, in what would mark the first replacement of its top envoys in major diplomatic outposts in about 10 years. Mun Myong-sin has been appointed as Pyongyang's envoy to Britain, replacing his predecessor Choe Il, in what is the first personnel reshuffle in nearly a decade, according to the foreign ministry. Mun previously served at the North Korean Embassy in London together with Tae Yong-ho, a high-profile North Korean defector who worked as the North's minister at the same diplomatic mission. North Korea's foreign ministry also announced the appointment of Hong Kwang-Il as the new top envoy to Indonesia, who also assumes the post as ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It marks the first time that the North has formally announced the appointment of the top diplomat stationed in Indonesia since 2015. Pyongyang has recently appointed new ambassadors to Nigeria, Brazil and Belarus as it seeks to revive international diplomacy as it vowed to actively pursue a foreigApr 21, 2026By Yonhap
Unification minister at center of controversy over intelligence sharing with USUnification Minister Chung Dong-young is at the center of a deepening intelligence controversy, with the U.S. military and embassy officials allegedly filing complaints over his public identification of the city of Kusong, Pyongan Province as the site of a North Korean nuclear facility, prompting rebuttals from Seoul and raising concerns over trust between the two allies. Rep. Sung Il-jong, a member of the main opposition People Power Party and chair of the National Defense Committee, said Tuesday that U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson allegedly lodged a complaint with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back over Chung’s reference to Kusong as a nuclear facility. Sung added that the U.S. Embassy’s intelligence official in Seoul also filed a complaint with the National Intelligence Service over the matter. The Ministry of Defense immediately refuted the claim, saying, “It is not diplomatically inappropriate for the U.S. Forces Korea Commander to file a complaint with the defense minister and it is not true.” “South Korea and the U.S. are maintaining close, ongoing communicaApr 21, 2026By Park Ji-won
Russia's interior minister arrives in N. Korea for talks over law enforcement cooperation: reportRussia's interior minister has arrived in North Korea for talks on enhancing cooperation in law enforcement between the two nations, a Russian news report showed Tuesday. A delegation, led by Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, arrived in Pyongyang on a working visit the previous day, according to Russia's state-run Tass news agency. The minister will hold talks with North Korean Minister of Public Security Pang Tu-sop, the news report said, noting they will "discuss cooperation between the two countries in law enforcement." North Korea's state media confirmed Kolokoltsev's arrival, noting his trip comes at the invitation of the Ministry of Public Security. North Korea and Russia have been expanding the scope of cooperation in the military, economy and other areas since they signed a mutual defense treaty in June 2024. Kolokoltsev's trip appeared to be a reciprocal visit by Pang to Russia in September, when the two nations signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation on public safety affairs and law enforcement. North Korea's public security ministry, which oversees public ordApr 21, 2026By Yonhap
Chungcheong universiade 2027 wants North Korean athletes to joinEfforts are gaining momentum to bring a North Korean delegation to the 2027 Chungcheong Universiade, set to be held next August in the Chungcheong region. Despite North Korea’s repeated provocations, attention is growing over whether the plan can materialize, as the Lee Jae Myung government continues to pursue easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula through expanded inter-Korean engagement. According to the event organizers, the issue of North Korean participation was discussed with International University Sports Federation (FISU) President Leonz Eder, who arrived in Korea last week for meetings with relevant officials and a press conference in Sejong City on Monday. The press conference was organized by the 2027 Chungcheong Universiade Organizing Committee and FISU to share updates on preparations for the event. Discussions over North Korea’s participation appear to have entered the stage of international outreach, according to latest reports. An organizing committee official said that the federation is exploring various channels to encourage North Korea to join. The organizing comApr 20, 2026By Hankookilbo
Unification minister regrets leak claim related to his reference to Kusong as NK nuclear facility siteUnification Minister Chung Dong-young said Monday his referring to North Korea's Kusong region as one of the sites hosting the country's nuclear facilities was intended to explain South Korea's North Korea policy, expressing regret over allegations that the remarks constituted an information leak. The minister made the remarks amid allegations that he disclosed sensitive intelligence on North Korea, after describing Kusong as a site hosting uranium enrichment facilities during a parliamentary session last month. So far, only two regions — Yongbyon and Kangson — have been officially recognized as uranium enrichment sites in North Korea, while researchers in South Korea and abroad have at times referred to Kusong as also hosting nuclear facilities. "I only (referred to Kusong) as part of a policy explanation meant to illustrate the seriousness of North Korea's nuclear issue. Framing it as an information leak is very regrettable," Chung told reporters. The United States has reportedly complained about Chung's disclosure of the information, which it believes was based on intelligence shaApr 20, 2026By Yonhap
Major Russian airline says it has received OK to fly over North KoreaRussia’s largest private airline says it has received permission to fly over North Korea, currently operating two routes that cross through the country’s usually restricted airspace. A spokesperson for S7 Airlines said on Wednesday that the firm has relied on North Korean airspace for its Vladivostok-Shanghai route since last November, confirming previous NK News reporting. S7 also flies over North Korea on its Bangkok-Vladivostok route, the representative told NK News. “Permission to use North Korea's airspace was obtained through standard procedures for ensuring transit flights,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The routes were “determined by operational efficiency” and “designed based on North Korea's aeronautical information,” they added, stressing that the move follows “international procedures and standards, with strict compliance with flight safety requirements.” NK News reported in Nov. 2025 that S7 had started flying directly over North Korea on the Vladivostok-Shanghai route, rather than detouring through Chinese airspace like other foreign airlApr 20, 2026By NK News
