N. Korea condemns UN human rights resolution on Pyongyang: KCNANorth Korea on Thursday condemned a recent United Nations resolution on human rights violations in the country, calling it a "grave political provocation." The reaction came after the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council adopted its annual resolution on Pyongyang's human rights by consensus Monday at its 61st regular session, co-sponsored by 50 countries, including South Korea. "(Our) foreign ministry brands the adoption of this anti-DPRK 'human rights resolution' as a grave political provocation to the dignity and sovereignty of the DPRK and denounces and rejects it in the most powerful language," a ministry spokesperson said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea. The latest U.N. resolution condemned the long-standing and systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations and abuses in North Korea and urges the North to take "immediately all steps" necessary to end such crimes. The statement argued the U.N. human rights review system targeting individual states constituApr 2, 2026By Yonhap
Unification minister expresses condolences over death of former N. Korean IOC memberUnification Minister Chung Dong-young on Wednesday expressed his condolences over the death of Chang Ung, North Korea's long-serving former member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In a message on his Facebook page, the minister appreciated Chang's role in promoting peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula through sports. "I remember having a meaningful conversation with Chang over inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation regarding taekwondo when he visited Seoul as the chief of the International Taekwondo Federation in April 2007," Chung said. "I've appreciated his role in broadening the scope of inter-Korean exchanges on the international sports stage and his contribution to promoting dialogue and communication (between the two Koreas) through sports." Chang, who served as an IOC member from 1996 to 2018 and later as an honorary member, died at age 87 on Sunday, according to the IOC. He helped the two Koreas field a unified team at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships in Chiba, Japan. He also played a role in the joint marches of South and North Korean athletes at thApr 1, 2026By Yonhap
Unification minister asks EU to mediate '2+1' dialogue with N. KoreaUnification Minister Chung Dong-young on Wednesday asked the European Union (EU) to consider mediating a "two-plus-one" political dialogue involving the two Koreas and the EU to help ease inter-Korean tensions. Chung made the request during a meeting with a delegation from the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, led by Chairman David McAllister, which is visiting South Korea. "I would appreciate it if the EU would consider facilitating an EU-mediated two-plus-one political dialogue between South and North Korea," Chung said. Chung described the two Koreas as being "mired in a swamp of distrust and hostility" although both sides are wanting peace, adding that the EU's history of resolving centuries of animosity and achieving regional integration make it "an optimal mediator." Chung's remarks came as the Lee Jae Myung government seeks to revive dialogue with Pyongyang to ease military tensions and build peace, despite Pyongyang's continued military buildup and growing hostility. Having ruled out dialogue with Seoul repeatedly, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un formally labeledApr 1, 2026By Yonhap
South Korea launches this year's war remains excavation project at DMZ battle siteSouth Korea on Wednesday started this year's project to excavate the remains of soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War on a key former battlefield within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, the defense ministry said. Following a three-year suspension, the military resumed the excavation project at the White Horse Ridge in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, last year in line with the Lee Jae Myung government's efforts to mend frayed ties with North Korea. The White Horse Ridge was one of the fierce battle sites during the three-year conflict on the Korean Peninsula, with a number of dead and missing from the Korean forces known to be buried in the area. A task force, comprising the 5th Infantry Division and an agency under the defense ministry with soldiers and experts, will remove land mines and secure a safe path for excavation work before surveying the area for remains. The military has so far retrieved 92 sets of war remains at the White Horse Ridge in 2021-22, according to the ministry. The ministry said it is "closely coordinating" with the United Nations Command regaApr 1, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korean Embassy in China hosts reception marking ruling party congress: reportThe North Korean Embassy in China has hosted a reception marking the ruling Workers' Party of Korea's congress in February, attended by a senior Chinese ruling party official, a Chinese news report said Wednesday. Attending the reception in Beijing the previous day, Li Shulei — a member of the political bureau of the Communist Party of China's central committee — extended "warm congratulations" on behalf of President Xi Jinping, the Xinhua News Agency said. In February, the North Korean party held a congress for the first time in five years, putting forth a new five-year economic development plan and other policy directions to guide the country over the next five years. During Tuesday's reception, Li also said China is willing to work with Pyongyang to strengthen strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation and enhance the well-being and friendship of the peoples of the two nations, Xinhua said. The Chinese official also vowed to work with North Korea to "make due contributions to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity." North Korean Ambassador to China Ri RyonApr 1, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's longtime IOC member Chang Ung dies at 87Chang Ung, North Korea's long-serving member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has died, the committee said on its website Wednesday. He was 87. In a post, the IOC expressed "deep sorrow" over the passing of Chang, who had been an IOC member since 1996 and later served as an honorary member. "Chang devoted his whole life to the development of sports in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and to fostering dialogue within the Olympic Movement," IOC President Kirsty Coventry said in a statement, using North Korea's official name. "His efforts to promote cooperation on the Korean Peninsula demonstrated the power of sport to build bridges and inspire hope," she added. Born in Pyongyang in 1938, Chang began his career as a basketball player before transitioning into coaching and sports education in North Korea. He also held senior positions within the country's Olympic committee for many years. He played notable roles in inter-Korean sports diplomacy, including the launch of the inter-Korean joint table tennis team in 1991. He also facilitated the signing of a memorandumApr 1, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's largest labor group calls for 'full march' to fulfill party's 5-year economic planNorth Korea's largest labor group has urged workers to carry out a "full march" to achieve the five-year national economic development plan adopted at a party congress in February, state media said Wednesday. The General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea, affiliated with the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), made the appeal to its members and other workers nationwide at a plenary meeting Monday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "A full march involving all people has begun to fulfill the new five-year plan in line with the path of victory suggested at the Ninth Party Congress," the federation said, calling for a bolder and more aggressive struggle to drive socialist development. "All workplaces and posts are the foundations upholding our great country," the group said, listing various industrial sectors and urging workers to boost industrial production and set new records. The workers' group is one of the four largest labor organizations under the guidance of the WPK, primarily aimed at instilling its ideology in the people. During Monday's plenary meeting, the group alsoApr 1, 2026By Yonhap
Gov't to reopen all border walking trailsAll 12 peace-themed walking routes near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas will open for this year's program, the government announced Wednesday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said in a joint press release with related government offices that the trails, collectively known as the DMZ Peace Trail, will be open from April 17 to Nov. 30. Operations will be temporarily suspended in July and August due to the summer heat. The trails stretching across border cities and towns in Incheon, Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces were created in 2019 to give South Korean citizens a rare opportunity to explore the ecological, cultural and historical significance of one of the world's most tightly guarded borders. Some routes have intermittently run on a limited basis for security and other reasons, however, with all operations pausing during the extreme winter months before reopening for the new season. The DMZ, which is about 250 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide, has divided the peninsula since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leavinApr 1, 2026By Yonhap
How Kim Jong-un’s leadership playbook is borrowing from Xi JinpingChina provides a model for how to tighten party control, but there are limits to how far North Korea can go At North Korea’s biggest political event, Kim Jong-un showed that he has absorbed lessons from one of the world’s most entrenched leaders: Chinese President Xi Jinping. One of the more obvious signs at the Ninth Party Congress was the use of Chinese-style name badges, which suggested that DPRK officials are copying the format of the Chinese Communist Party’s meetings. But a far more important parallel came in Kim’s push to reshape governance by incorporating his “five-point party-building line” into the Workers’ Party rules, seeking to reinforce what Pyongyang calls the “monolithic leadership system” revolving around the ruling family. Experts say that Kim appears to be studying the playbook of the Chinese president, consolidating authority by tightening domestic control, centralizing decision making and placing a party-first governance model at the heart of Pyongyang’s policies. But major differences between the two countries — most crucially China’s recordMar 31, 2026By NK News
Half of school students say unification with N. Korea necessary: surveyNearly half of elementary to high school students think unification with North Korea is necessary, a survey by the unification and education ministries showed Tuesday. A total of 49.7 percent of about 70,000 elementary, middle and high school students responded that unification is needed in the annual survey conducted last year by the ministries. The figure marked an increase of 2.1 percentage points from 2024. Meanwhile, 37.9 percent of those surveyed said unification is unnecessary, down 4.4 percentage points from a year earlier. Those who supported unification cited the elimination of risks of an inter-Korean war as the main reason for their choice, while those who opposed pointed to potential social problems stemming from unification as their primary reason. A total of 41.6 percent described North Korea as a country to be wary of, while 32.2 percent viewed it as a partner for cooperation. A majority, or 60.3 percent, said the two Koreas are in a nonpeaceful relationship, with only 8.6 percent viewing them as being in a peaceful relationship. The survey was conducted online on 70,242 stuMar 31, 2026By Yonhap
