N. Korea's Kim reelected as general secretary of ruling party at key congressNorth Korea's ruling party reelected Kim Jong-un as its general secretary at the ongoing party congress, state media reported Monday, as the event is expected to unveil major policy goals for the next five years. "The Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) decided to reelect Comrade Kim Jong-un as the WPK's general secretary ... for our party's enforcement and development and our nation's prosperity," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing "unwavering" consent from party members, people and soldiers. The KCNA reported the congress decision made the previous day, the fourth day of what is typically several days of meetings, at the end of which key policy goals for the next five years are announced, including on the economy, defense and diplomacy.Feb 23, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim cites 'upsurge' in national development on 3rd day of key party congressNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un cited a new era of "upsurge" in national development as he reported works by the North's ruling party on the third day of its ninth congress, state media reported Sunday. Kim delivered the report to the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea the previous day as the party congress entered its third day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The party's central committee "has fulfilled its important mission and role as the vanguard of the revolution, ushering in a new era of unprecedented changes and upsurge in the scope and depth of struggle and speed of development," the KCNA said, quoting Kim's report. The report also "clarified the new fighting strategy corresponding to the strong spirit of advance of the country ... specified the prospective goals for all sectors and the tasks and ways for attaining them," The KCNA said, without specifying details. The congress expressed "full support" for Kim's report and unanimously recognized it as "a revolutionary guideline" to lead "more rapid development faster change and greater progress," the news aFeb 22, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea touts 'remarkable' success in policy implementation over past 5 years at key party congressNorth Korea said Saturday it has achieved "remarkable" success in implementing major policies over the past five years, as Pyongyang is holding a key party congress amid expectations that it will unveil its future policy direction. With North Korean leader Kim Jong-un present, the country held a policy review session Friday, the second day of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea's ninth party congress, the country's biggest political event since 2021, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). On Thursday, it kicked off the high-profile party gathering, where it will outline major policy directions for the next five years on diplomacy, defense, the economy and other areas. The KCNA said North Korea has "successfully" carried out key policy plans "in all fields" over the past five years, calling it a period of "great transformation." "The remarkable successes, experience and lessons, gained in the overall work of the Party and the state in politics, economy, culture, defense, diplomacy and other fields ... serve as a springboard for making leaps forward in guaranteeing greater chanFeb 21, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea overhauls inner circle, removing old guardNorth Korea reshuffled the leadership of its ruling party’s highest decision-making body at its ninth party congress, the North's state media reported Friday, signaling changes within the power elite and a recalibration of its approach toward South Korea. According to Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency, the executive presidium of the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea consists of 39 members, including leader Kim Jong-un, the same number as at the Eighth Congress five years ago. However, 23 of them — roughly 59 percent — have been replaced. The order in which senior officials were announced also changed. Prime Minister Pak Thae-song was listed ahead of Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly, reversing the protocol observed at the previous gathering. The reshuffle swept out several longtime power brokers who were considered part of the old guard, most notably Kim Yong-chol, the hard-line former intelligence chief and nuclear negotiator whose influence has waned since the collapse of the 2019 Hanoi summit. AlsoFeb 20, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin
N. Korea preparing for military parade involving 12,000 personnel: lawmakerNorth Korea has been preparing for a large-scale military parade involving some 12,000 personnel to mark a key party congress, an opposition lawmaker said Friday, citing satellite imagery. The satellite imagery compiled by Vantor Inc. from Feb. 9-17 and analyzed by the Korea Defense Security Forum showed some 12,000 people gathered at the Mirim air field in Pyongyang, according to Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party. The imagery did not yet show movements of large weapons systems usually showcased during the North's military parades, with the defense institute projecting the North to start bringing armored weapons and missile launchers to the site in phases. The imagery also showed preparations for large-scale mass games involving card sections taking part at Kim Il Sung Square in the capital. "The military parade for the ninth party congress is expected to involve mass weapons and personnel, surpassing the scale of the previous political event," Yu said. "It will be a stage to flaunt the North's deepening ties with Russia, attended by senior officials." North KoreFeb 20, 2026By Yonhap
China, Russia send congratulations to N. Korea over party congress openingChina and Russia, traditionally aligned with North Korea, have sent congratulatory letters to the North in recognition of its opening of the first congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in five years, state media reported Friday. Dmitry Medvedev, chief of the ruling United Russia party, sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday, which was followed the next day by a letter from the central committee of China's Communist Party, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. North Korea kicked off a party congress Thursday, the highest decision-making organ in the country and the first since 2021, to set major policy goals on the economy, defense and other key areas. In his letter, Medvedev, a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said the two countries' traditional friendship and strategic partnership help them defy "external pressure" and ensure "peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region," according to the KCNA. Medvedev stressed the role of the ruling parties of the two countries in advancing bilateral relations, adding that he expects tFeb 20, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea promotes ski resort for foreign touristsNorth Korea on Thursday carried a state media report promoting a ski resort in the North's eastern region as a facility open to overseas tourists in apparent efforts to attract foreign visitors. Calling the Masikryong ski resort a "world-class" facility, the North said it welcomes tourists from various countries and is equipped with 10 slopes for international ski competitions, according to the report carried by the Cabinet-run Minju Joson paper. The ski resort also provides various facilities for visitors, such as a hotel equipped with a swimming pool and a massage room, as well as medical facilities and a helicopter landing field, according to the report. Built in 2013, the ski resort was used as a venue for joint training between South Korean and North Korean athletes ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018. Some Russian group tourists reportedly visited the ski resort amid deepening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. The report comes as North Korea has been seeking to nurture the tourism industry in an apparent bid to earn much-needed foreign currency amid international sanctFeb 19, 2026By Yonhap
North Korean POWs grow desperate, putting Seoul in a difficult policy bind“The starting point was wanting to give them a chance to publicly say whether they truly want to be repatriated or not.” These were the words of Kim Young-mi, an international conflict journalist and producer of MBC’s investigative program “PD Notebook,” at a policy seminar in Seoul on Feb. 3, reflecting on the decision that brought two North Korean prisoners of war into South Korea’s public conversation. Kim recently broadcast interviews with two North Korean prisoners of war she met in Ukraine, stressing the urgency of humanitarian measures. The decision to not blur their faces — a move which she called a bold editorial gamble — prompted debate. The reaction was immediate. Although images and interviews had surfaced sporadically through Ukrainian authorities and domestic media, it was the first time their living conditions, fears of being sent back to North Korea and stated wish to go to South Korea were presented clearly on television. Public attention, and political interest, rose accordingly. At a seminar titled “How should South Korea respond to North Korean POWsFeb 19, 2026By Hankookilbo
Seoul, Pyongyang make rare exchange of statements over drone intrusionsA rare volley of official comments between Seoul and Pyongyang over alleged South Korean drone incursions into North Korea has raised cautious hopes of renewed communication, as Seoul steps up efforts to revive long-stalled inter-Korean ties. South Korea's Ministry of Unification said Thursday that it acknowleges the North's response to Seoul's official comments regarding the drone incident. "We take note of the North's swift response to the government's expression of regret over the drone incident and its announcement of measures to prevent a recurrence,” a ministry official said. "The preventive steps announced yesterday by the unification minister are intended to safeguard the safety and peace of both the South and the North." Cheong Wa Dae also commented on the North's response, saying it hopes "both sides will refrain from actions that escalate tensions in border areas and will work together to build peace." A day earlier, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young announced steps aimed at preventing civilian drone intrusions into the North, including reviewing the reinstatement of no-Feb 19, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Why North Korean POWs are rareAs attention focuses on the fate of the two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) held in Ukraine, questions arise over why there are so few captives from the reclusive state. Pyongyang sent around 11,000 soldiers to fight with Russian forces in the invasion of Ukraine in late 2024. At least 6,000 of them reportedly died not long after they began fighting in Russia's Kursk region in December 2024, as North Korean soldiers were wholly unprepared for Ukrainian drones, according to Ukrainian military and intelligence officials. Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) stated that North Korean troops were stationed in Kursk and continued to launch attacks on the Ukrainian border as of last month. The agency also said the North Korean soldiers are rotated regularly and around 3,000 have returned to North Korea to pass on skills they acquired on the battlefield. Currently, there are only two known North Korean POWs. In January 2025, Ukrainian authorities unveiled a video of the two captives, and South Korean broadcaster MBC's "PD Notebook" was able to interview them for a program that aireFeb 19, 2026By Kim Bo-eun
