Pro-N. Korea paper claims reliance on US-led order risks national interests amid Mideast warA pro-North Korea newspaper based in Japan on Monday called for countries to distance themselves from the United States in a bid to defend their national interests amid the U.S.-Iran war and Tehran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Choson Sinbo claimed in its commentary that the blockade of the crucial waterway and volatile oil prices showed that the more countries depend on U.S.-led international order, the greater they could face the risk of their national interests being undermined. "It remains uncertain regarding how the situation will unfold following a two-week ceasefire. But it would be wise of countries to distance themselves from a belligerent country that only cares about interests of itself and some allies, and to walk on the path to protecting their own interests," the newspaper said. North Korea appears to be reiterating its long-standing stance of rejecting the U.S.-led international order while supporting the multipolar world order. Still, the North's state media have not directly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump by name. The Rodong Sinmun, the North's maiApr 13, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea sends new envoy to Belarus amid warming tiesNorth Korea has sent a new ambassador to Belarus, Pyongyang's state media reported Sunday, in a sign of deepening bilateral ties following Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's visit to Pyongyang last month. Ji Kyong-su, a former vice minister of external economic relations, presented his credentials to Lukashenko on Friday, according to the Korean Central News Agency. During the ceremony, Ji conveyed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's "warm greeting," to which Lukashenko expressed his gratitude, the report said. Lukashenko visited North Korea on March 25 and 26, holding summit talks with Kim in Pyongyang. The two sides signed a treaty on friendship and cooperation aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding collaboration across various sectors. Observers say North Korea and Belarus have been drawing closer as both countries align diplomatically and politically, particularly in their support for Russia amid the war in Ukraine. Belarus plans to open an embassy in North Korea by Aug. 1, according to a Belarusian news report.Apr 12, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim says Pyongyang puts 'top priority' on developing ties with China in meeting with WangNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stressed the North places "top priority" on further developing traditional ties with China during his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, state media reported Saturday. Their meeting took place Friday, the last day of Wang's two-day visit to Pyongyang, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It marked his first trip to the North since 2019. The meeting came months after Kim held summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last September to discuss ways to deepen bilateral ties, which were seen as strained amid North Korea's military and diplomatic alignment with Russia. During the talks with Wang, Kim affirmed that North Korea's steadfast stance is to "place the greatest value on and give top priority to further developing the DPRK-China friendly relations with socialism as their core," the KCNA said. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He also underscored the need to "further intensify the visits and contacts at different levels and boost mutual support and cooperaApr 11, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea celebrates late founder Kim Il-sung's birth anniv. with cultural eventsNorth Korea is marking the upcoming birth anniversary of its late founder Kim Il-sung with various cultural events honoring his achievements, according to state media Friday. The country launched a film week to mark the April 15 anniversary Thursday, along with art exhibitions, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. North Korea observes April 15, the birthday of founder Kim, as one of its biggest national holidays, often marked by extravagant events honoring his achievements and aimed at boosting national unity. Following a ceremony launching the cinema week at the International Cinema Hall in Pyongyang, participants watched a film praising Kim, while art exhibitions showcased works depicting his life, the KCNA said. North Korea, however, appears to have reduced its use of the honorific term for the founder's birthday, the "Day of the Sun," in recent years, including this year, as it seems to be shifting allegiance to his grandson, the current leader Kim Jong-un.Apr 10, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's top diplomat tells China that Pyongyang vows to deepen bilateral tiesNorth Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has told her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that Pyongyang would forge relations with Beijing for the interests of the people, with both ministers praising their leaders' pledge to deepen ties, according to the North's state media Friday. Choe made the remarks during talks with Wang in Pyongyang, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, with a Chinese foreign minister visiting North Korea for the first time in more than six years. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited Beijing last year and held summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Choe told Wang that bilateral ties have been advanced to a "higher new level" under an agreement reached during the summit talks between Kim and Xi last year. North Korea would further deepen the bilateral friendship under the "common ideology of socialism in accordance with the aspirations and interests of the people of the two nations," Choe told Wang, according to the KCNA. Wang also recalled that Xi and Kim held a "historic" meeting in Beijing in September last year, during which, he said, tApr 10, 2026By Yonhap
Chinese FM's Pyongyang visit signals coordination ahead of Trump-Xi summitChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to North Korea from Thursday to Friday, at Pyongyang’s invitation, is seen by experts as an effort to coordinate positions ahead of a United States-China summit in May, potentially laying the groundwork for a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump. The trip comes at a sensitive moment in peninsular diplomacy. Speculation over a possible Trump-Kim summit has been growing in Washington and Pyongyang since early this year, and Beijing, which has historically served as a back channel between the two sides, is keen to shape any outcome before Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sit down in May. Wang’s visit signals China’s effort to reassert its central role in regional diplomacy, particularly as discussions involving North Korea are expected to feature in U.S.-China talks. Seoul expressed cautious expectations over the visit, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue. “The agenda for talks between North Korea and China has not been disclosed, but the South Korean government hopes they will engApr 9, 2026By Park Ji-won
Gov’t resumes tourist train service to Dorasan Station after 6-year suspensionThe government is resuming regular tourist train service between Seoul Station and Dorasan Station on Thursday, ending a suspension of more than six years, the Ministry of Unification announced. The train, designated the "DMZ Peace-Link Train," will operate on the second and fourth Fridays of each month along the Gyeongui Line, passing through Imjingang Station and into the Civilian Control Zone to reach Dorasan Station, the northernmost passenger station in South Korea and the last stop before the Demilitarized Zone. Dorasan Station, located approximately 56 kilometers from Seoul and 205 kilometers from Pyongyang, carries symbolic significance as the point from which a future link northward would depart. A sign at the station reads, "This is not the last station from the South, but the first station toward the North." To mark the occasion, the government is holding a ceremony titled "Dorasan Station, Reconnecting Peace" on Friday at Seoul Station and Dorasan Station. The event will consist of three segments: a boarding ceremony at Seoul Station, a reopening ceremony at Dorasan Station aApr 9, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Belarus to open embassy in N. Korea by Aug. 1: reportBelarus will open its embassy in North Korea by Aug. 1, a Belarusian news report said Thursday, adding the plan is part of President Alexander Lukashenko's visit to North Korea last month. A resolution outlining the plan was signed by Belarusian Prime Minister Aleksandr Turchin in the fulfillment of the president's instruction following his official visit to North Korea, the Belarusian news agency Belta reported. Lukashenko visited North Korea from March 25-26, during which he held a summit with leader Kim Jong-un and signed a treaty on friendship and cooperation aimed at deepening bilateral ties. North Korea and Belarus appear to have been deepening their alignment as both countries share support for Russia in its war against Ukraine.Apr 9, 2026By Yonhap
Neolithic, Bronze Age relics of salt-producing facilities found in N. Korea: KCNARemains of salt-producing facilities dating to the Neolithic and Bronze Age have been found in North Korea's southwestern city of Nampho, state media said Thursday. Remains of salt-storing and processing facilities were found in two different cultural layers dating back 5,000 to 5,500 years in Nampho's Onchon County for the first time, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing the archaeology unit of the Academy of Social Sciences. Researchers identified them as salt-producing facilities after comparing their salinity with that of the surrounding soil. Based on a piece of earthenware found at the site, they also determined that the remains date from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. North Korea's archaeology society said the relics constitute evidence that areas near the Taedong River basin centered on Pyongyang were one of the cradles of civilization.Apr 9, 2026By Yonhap
Cuban president congratulates N. Korea's Kim on reelection as top leaderCuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his reelection as the country's top leader and reaffirmed Cuba's commitment to strengthening ties with Pyongyang, the North's state media said Thursday. "I affirm that I place high importance on relations with" North Korea, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Diaz-Canel as saying in a message to Kim earlier this month. "I once again affirm our commitment to expanding friendship, cooperation and solidarity between our two countries," the Cuban leader also said in the letter congratulating Kim on his reelection as president of the state affairs commission at a recent parliamentary session. North Korea and Cuba, long-time allies, appear to be mending ties frayed by Cuba's surprise establishment of diplomatic relations with South Korea in 2024. Kim and Diaz-Canel reportedly met while traveling to China in September last year to attend a military parade in Beijing.Apr 9, 2026By Yonhap
