N. Korea set to convene 1st session of new Supreme People's AssemblyNorth Korea is set to hold the first session of its new Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) on Sunday amid attention on whether the regime will codify its hostile policy toward South Korea in its constitution. The parliamentary session comes after new deputies were selected following last month's Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. The country's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Tuesday the session will be held in Pyongyang "to deliberate on the election of the president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the elections of the state leadership and sub-committees of the SPA, (and) the revision and supplement of the Socialist Constitution." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has defined the two Koreas as "two countries hostile to each other," and whether this policy will be codified in the constitution is being closely watched by officials and analysts in South Korea and other regional powers. Also of interest is whether Kim will deliver a speech addressing North Korea's relations with the South, the United States and other countries. The KCNAMar 22, 2026By Yonhap
Border mountain to host franchise cafe with panoramic view of N. KoreaMount Odu, situated just below the inter-Korean border, will host a franchise cafe offering visitors a panoramic view of North Korea's border regions, sources said Friday. A Twosome Place cafe will begin service Tuesday on the fourth floor of an observation tower on Mount Odu in the border city of Paju under a three-year contract, the sources said. Located at the confluence of the South's Han River and the Imjin River flowing from North Korea, the observation tower is the closest point to North Korea open to civilians. The observation tower is a famous tourist spot, overlooking North Korea's South Hwanghae Province. Once open, the cafe will offer special menu items featuring the region, such as Peace Set or Unification Set, along with exclusive goods for sale. In 2024, a Starbucks cafe began service at another observation tower on Aegibong Peak in the border region of Gimpo, becoming a popular tourist destination.Mar 20, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim oversees combined drill involving new main battle tanksNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a joint offensive drill featuring new main battle tanks equipped with an "active protection system," saying ground troops will be equipped with the "superior" tank "extensively," state media reported Friday. Kim oversaw "a coordinated offensive tactical drill of infantrymen's and tankmen's sub-units" a day earlier at the Pyongyang Training Base No. 60 under the Capital City Defence Corps of the Korean People's Army, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The drill also involved "various tests" to assess the new main battle tank's active protection system, during which it intercepted all anti-tank missiles and drones attacking from different positions and directions to "prove the efficiency of its superior active protection system," the KCNA said. Kim touted the tank as "very superior" and "unequaled in the world in its striking power and mobility," as well as in its self-defense capacity. During the development of the tank, special attention was paid to improving its survivability, Kim also said, emphasizing its mobile self-defensive complex cMar 20, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea touts cement factory visited by leader Kim as exemplary case for boosting productionNorth Korea has touted a cement factory in the country's southwestern region as an exemplary case for boosting production, state media showed Thursday, in a move seen as being aimed at strengthening the people's unity following last month's key party congress. The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, carried a report on the front page that highlights the Sangwon Cement Complex in North Hwanghae Province, calling for the people to learn about the "spirit of Sangwon." The Sangwon Cement Complex is a key cement factory in North Korea, having an annual production capacity of 2 million tons of cement. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the factory March 1 in his first inspection of an economic site following the ninth party congress in late February. The Rodong Sinmun called for the people to learn about "infinite loyalty" from the factory that has "unconditionally" been implementing the ruling party's order to boost production. "Construction is a key sector that drives the nation's advance, development and prosperity. Cement is like ammunition," the newspaper said. "Sangwon is notMar 19, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea-China trade surpasses $427 mil. in January to February, highest in 9 yearsTrade between North Korea and China surpassed 2.94 billion Chinese yuan ($427 million) in the January-February period this year, marking the highest amount in nine years, Chinese data showed Wednesday. China's exports to North Korea amounted to 2.31 billion yuan, while imports reached 625.6 million yuan during the two-month period, marking a combined 19.6 percent increase from the trade volume recorded a year earlier, according to data from China's General Administration of Customs. The two-month figure marks the highest level since 2017, when trade reached 5.37 billion yuan, signaling a recovery in bilateral trade as the two countries move to mend ties frayed by Pyongyang's military alignment with Russia. China is by far North Korea's largest trading partner. Annual bilateral trade, however, plunged to 16.1 billion yuan in 2018 from 34.31 billion yuan in 2017 after China joined U.N. Security Council actions to impose sanctions against the North. Trade took another blow from COVID-19 border controls to further shrink to 2.05 billion yuan in 2021 before beginning a gradual rebound thereafMar 18, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea highlights cement factory praised by leader Kim to drum up industrial outputNorth Korea has launched an industrial campaign to boost production, presenting a cement factory in the country's southern region praised by leader Kim Jong-un as an exemplary case, according to a North Korean newspaper Wednesday. The North's ruling Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun called the Sangwon Cement Complex in North Hwanghae Province "an honorable, cherished example" of putting into practice the spirit of last month's party congress. "Through aggressive efforts," the factory is churning out 1.2 times its daily target to renew the record-high production levels achieved last year, the paper said. The cement factory is the site Kim visited on March 1 in his first public inspection of an industrial facility following last month's high-profile ruling party congress. The leader praised the factory for making "great contributions" to the party's successful implementation of large-scale construction projects. The cement factory, which has an annual production capacity of 2 million tons, has reportedly been vital to North Korea's major construction projects in recent years, includingMar 18, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea embarks on new project to modernize PyongyangNorth Korea has embarked on a new project to modernize its capital, Pyongyang, after leader Kim Jong-un pledged to turn Pyongyang into a global city during last month's ruling party congress, according to state media Wednesday. An exhibition of construction equipment and an event to deploy related vehicles were held a day earlier for the fifth-stage construction project in Pyongyang's Hwasong district, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The Hwasong district is a newly refurbished housing area where a total of 40,000 housing units were built through four consecutive construction projects under Kim's guidance from 2022 to 2025. The fifth-stage construction was launched last month, attended by Kim, and at a subsequent ruling party congress, the leader ordered the city to be developed into a model administrative unit with perfect political, economic and cultural functions. Kim also said relevant projects should be pursued continuously to turn Pyongyang into a "great city equipped with the traits of a global city." Choson Sinbo, a pro-North Korea newspaper based in Japan, said in a reMar 18, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea, Russia mark 77th anniversary of bilateral treaty on economic, cultural cooperationNorth Korea and Russia have marked the 77th anniversary of a bilateral treaty on economic and cultural cooperation, the North's state media reported Wednesday. Russia's acting ambassador to North Korea, Vladimir Topekha, reaffirmed Moscow's commitment to further advancing cooperation with Pyongyang during a banquet held Tuesday in Pyongyang, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. North Korea and Russia signed an Economic and Cultural Cooperation Agreement on March 31, 1949, paving the way for Moscow to provide loans and resources to help Pyongyang build a socialist economy. In a speech, Topekha said the Russian people feel "satisfied" with the two countries' strategic partnership, forged between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which is becoming more cemented and validated against the backdrop of complex international political situations. The KCNA also quoted Topekha as expressing Russia's support for economic development and "autonomous" foreign policies outlined at last month's North Korean ruling party congress, adding that bilateralMar 18, 2026By Yonhap
North Korea talks unlikely as Trump-Xi summit stalls, wars rage, analysts sayWith U.S. President Donald Trump's planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly pushed back amid the wars in Iran and Ukraine, analysts say a potential summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is unlikely to materialize soon, though they stop short of ruling it out entirely. Trump is planning to push his China visit to May as the Iran conflict intensifies, but Seoul is pressing ahead with its efforts to broker renewed dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang. The moves have fueled speculation that a Trump-Kim meeting could be back on the table. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Monday urged North Korea not to miss the opportunity, after Trump expressed interest in meeting with Kim during a White House sit-down with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok Friday. Most analysts, however, said the U.S. has little bandwidth for North Korea diplomacy right now amid global geopolitical uncertainties. “There is no room for Trump to discuss the talks between the North and the U.S. amid the Iran war,” Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea InstitutMar 17, 2026By Park Ji-won
N. Korea shows off 'human-like' robots at polling station, schoolsNorth Korea has showed off "human-like" robots at a polling station and schools, in apparent efforts by Pyongyang to catch up with fast-growing global robotics technology. Choson Sinbo, a pro-North Korea newspaper based in Japan, published a photo of a robot with a humanoid appearance at a university in Pyongyang in its Tuesday issue. The photo showed a robot wearing a white and navy hanbok dress. The newspaper said the robots are being actively used by teachers and students, describing them as working in cooperation with teachers to provide educational assistance to students. How the robots move or operate could not be confirmed in the absence of video footage, and the newspaper did not provide details on whether they can move or are immobile. A similar female humanoid was also introduced to foreign diplomats posted in North Korea, with the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang uploading an image of the robot deployed at a polling station during parliamentary elections held last Sunday. "A robot in the form of a young lady wearing traditional (Korean) dress welcomed voters," the embassy said on iMar 17, 2026By Yonhap
