N. Korea denounces Japan's record defense budget as 'war preparation'North Korea on Saturday condemned Japan's plan to set a record-high defense budget for next year, calling it a move to prepare for a "war of aggression" and threatening to "counterattack thoroughly" with united strength. The condemnation came as Japan's defense ministry on Wednesday set its budget request for the next fiscal year at a record 8.9 trillion yen ($60 billion), with the final budget to rise to around 10 trillion yen when finalized at the end of the year, according to foreign media reports. "The expansion of the war budget is a dangerous move that brings new turmoil to the region and the world," the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted a commentary carried by the Rodong Sinmun, the most widely read newspaper in the country, as saying. "There can be no doubt that the massive increase in military spending will lead to an arms buildup aimed at completing preparations for a war of aggression," it said, claiming that the international community "will never tolerate the military buildup of the descendants of a war-criminal state and will thoroughly counter it with uniteAug 22, 2026By Yonhap
Analysis3 hurdles stand in way of Trump-Kim summitU.S. President Donald Trump wants to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again. But seven years after their last summit, Kim has far less reason to return to the negotiating table on Washington’s terms. A summit would first require Kim to respond. Washington and Pyongyang would then have to navigate their fundamental differences over North Korea’s nuclear status, while Trump would have to keep the issue high on his agenda amid competing foreign policy challenges and the approaching U.S. midterm elections. Trump is openly pushing to revive summit diplomacy this year, leaning again on the personal relationship with Kim that produced unprecedented face-to-face meetings during his first term. He also recently ordered a scaling back of the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise between South Korea and the United States, prompting the allies to end the drills six days earlier than planned in what was widely seen as a conciliatory gesture toward Pyongyang. Kim is in no hurry The first question is whether Kim sees enough reason to meet Trump at all. North Korea has offered no direct response frAug 21, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
US military says it is aware of NK missile launches, reaffirms defense commitment to alliesThe U.S. military said Thursday that it is aware of North Korean ballistic missile launches this week, reaffirming America's commitment to the defense of regional allies. U.S. Pacific Command released a statement hours after Pyongyang fired a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea amid the ongoing South Korea-U.S. military exercise that it has decried as a rehearsal for war. "We are aware of the recent missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners," the command said in a statement on the launches. "Based on current assessments, these events do not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies. The United States remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region," it added. North Korea's latest missile launches came although U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the scaling back of the ongoing allied exercise in what was seen as a conciliatory gesture toward Pyongyang at a time when Trump seeks to resume diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Aug 21, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea remains silent over latest missile launchesNorth Korea stayed silent Friday on the ballistic missiles it launched the previous day, marking the third straight time Pyongyang has departed from its usual practice of announcing such launches the following morning. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the Rodong Sinmun, the most widely read newspaper in the country, had made no mention of the launch as of 6:30 a.m. Such silence, however, is not without precedent. North Korea has occasionally kept launches out of its state media when they offered little propaganda value. Pyongyang fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, amid an ongoing South Korea-U.S. military exercise that it has decried as rehearsals for war. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the missiles flew approximately 300 km, with further analysis ongoing. North Korea's latest missile launches came even as Trump sought to reopen a diplomatic channel with Pyongyang, having ordered the scaling back of an ongoing allied military exercise in a conciliatory gesture toward North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. They also came about a weekAug 21, 2026By Yonhap
NK leader's sister mocks Seoul for being forced to scale back 'war games'The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Thursday that Washington's recent decision to scale down the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise has placed Seoul "in a poor plight of canceling 'war games' it liked very much." Kim Yo-jong made the remarks in a statement as South Korea and the United States scaled down the summertime annual combined exercise after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the drills to be reduced. "Trump issued a sudden order to reduce the scale of the drill. This has placed Seoul in a poor plight of canceling 'war games' it liked very much," Kim said. Kim also said that President Lee Jae Myung's "double-dealing remarks" show the uneasiness and impatience of South Korea, referring to Lee's remarks that he respects the scaling down of the drills while also pledging for the "independent buildup of military capabilities." "It will be something like the first 'trouble' to the ROK, unprecedented in the history of U.S.-ROK joint military exercises, in the context that they have never seen the scale of war games reduced to become coreless after itsAug 20, 2026By Yonhap
Korea says China's stance on Korean Peninsula unchanged despite no reference to denuclearizationChina continues to maintain its longstanding position on ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, though Beijing has stopped short of explicitly expressing its support for the denuclearization of North Korea, officials in Seoul said Thursday. The remarks came as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi did not refer to the "denuclearization" of the peninsula during a meeting in Seoul the previous day, instead pledging to work toward "peace and stability," a slight shift in wording that China has maintained recently. In his opening remarks during the ministerial meeting, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun outlined Seoul's efforts to achieve denuclearization and peace on the peninsula and called for China's role in encouraging Pyongyang to return to dialogue. Wang, however, did not mention denuclearization in his remarks, instead saying China would continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace and stability on the peninsula. "China has emphasized that its policy toward the Korean Peninsula maintains continuity and stability and that there has been no change in its position. It reaffiAug 20, 2026By Yonhap
NK fires barrage of short-range ballistic missiles despite Trump overtureNorth Korea fired a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, despite a recent olive branch offered by U.S. President Donald Trump who signaled a willingness to reengage with the North's leader Kim Jong-un. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected roughly a dozen short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Pyongyang area at around 5 p.m., adding that further analysis is under way in cooperation with the United States. The military has stepped up surveillance and vigilance for possible additional launches while closely sharing related information with the U.S. and Japan as they maintain a full readiness posture, the JCS said. "Under a staunch South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, our military is closely monitoring various North Korean activities as we maintain the capability and readiness to overwhelmingly respond to any provocation," it added. The latest missile launch came after Trump expressed his willingness to resume dialogue with Kim, whom he met three times during his first term in 2018 and 2019, when a flurry of nuclear diplomacyAug 20, 2026By Yonhap
Experts warn sidelining denuclearization could weaken Seoul's leverageU.S. President Donald Trump’s refusal to say whether denuclearization remains the goal of renewed talks with North Korea has fueled speculation that Washington could set the issue aside in order to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. Experts warn that the focus should not be simply on whether U.S.-North Korea talks resume, but on what the talks are intended to achieve. A deal centered on managing North Korea’s nuclear threat rather than ultimately eliminating it could benefit Washington and Pyongyang while leaving Seoul with less leverage, they say. Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) said that while the chances of North Korea actually moving toward denuclearization may be slim, signaling that the goal itself is being abandoned or deprioritized could create problems. “Giving the impression that we are abandoning or backing away from the goal of denuclearization could send a very wrong message to North Korea,” Yu, a member of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, told The Korea Times. “It could be seen as legitimizing NorthAug 20, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul watches Trump-Kim summit push as Pyongyang gives guarded responseSouth Korea is cautiously navigating a renewed push for United States-North Korea dialogue as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to revive summit diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, even as Pyongyang continues to flex its military capabilities and China urges Washington to abandon what it calls a hostile policy toward North Korea. Trump appears to be seeking to revive summit diplomacy with Kim, building on their meetings during his first term. He told reporters Wednesday that he expects to meet with the North Korean leader later this year. The U.S. president also offered an unusually specific assessment of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, saying Pyongyang possesses 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons. The figure is substantially lower than Seoul’s latest assessment. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers Thursday that North Korea is estimated to possess between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads, while the exact number is difficult to determine. Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader’s powerful sister, responded to Trump’s remarks Wednesday in a statement carried by theAug 20, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
Unification minister says US-N. Korea dialogue key first step to halting Pyongyang's nuclear programDirect talks between Washington and Pyongyang are the first step toward halting North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Thursday. He made the remarks while meeting with reporters at the government complex in Seoul, amid speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump might seek to rekindle his personal diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which produced three bilateral meetings during his first term. "The first gateway to stopping North Korea's nuclear program is a meeting between the two sides, and we should work hard to support it," he said. "Halting the program is in the best interest of everyone involved," Chung added. Trump reiterated Wednesday (U.S. time) that he maintains good relations with Kim, and said he will meet the North Korean leader later this year, without providing further details. "Now is the time for the U.S. and North Korea, and time for Trump and Kim," Chung said, adding he hoped "the momentum between the two sides gets on track and expands into a framework" that eventually includes South Korea and China as well. ChungAug 20, 2026By Yonhap
