Trump responds to civic group seeking rights for N. Korean POWS in UkraineU.S. President Donald Trump has sent a reply to a letter from a civic group seeking his support for North Korean soldiers captured and detained in Ukraine during its war with Russia, the group said Tuesday. The Emergency Committee for the Free Repatriation of North Korean Soldiers said a U.S. unit of the group received a reply from Trump the previous day in response to a letter sent last month seeking his help to protect the detainees' rights and prevent them from being repatriated against their will, according to the group. The letter was sent as two young North Koreans soldiers have been held in Ukraine for more than a year following Ukrainian forces' reported capture of them in January last year in what was once the front-line region of Russia's Kursk. A copy of Trump's letter showed he thanked the group for sharing the story, saying "Your words are a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience, and spirit of the American people." "It is because of proud, hardworking citizens like you that I will never stop fighting to protect our values, defend our freedoms, and put America first,"Feb 10, 2026By Yonhap
Ukraine holds key as North Korean POW issue enters diplomatic gray zoneTwo North Korean soldiers captured on a battlefield far from the Korean Peninsula are now being held thousands of kilometers from home. Despite clear rules under international law, what will happen to the prisoners remains uncertain. South Korea has said it would accept the soldiers if they requested it, but the decision rests with the Ukrainian government, which currently holds them in custody. The two soldiers were excluded from a recent Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange and remain in Ukrainian custody. They have reportedly requested repatriation to South Korea instead of North Korea. This case highlights the gap between legal principles and diplomatic realities in war. With the conflict in Ukraine showing little sign of resolution, experts warn that Seoul risks further straining inter-Korean relations. Seoul’s position is straightforward in principle: The government has repeatedly affirmed that North Korean prisoners of war are considered South Korean nationals under the Constitution and would be accepted if they express a desire to come to the South. In practice, however, officials aFeb 10, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
South Korea calls for reopening of inter-Korean industrial complexThe South Korean government on Tuesday called for the swift reopening of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in North Korea, marking 10 years since its shutdown and describing it as a "safety valve for peace on the Korean Peninsula." It acknowledged that Seoul's unilateral suspension of the inter-Korean complex in February 2016 under then-President Park Geun-hye had undermined the foundation of mutual trust between the two Koreas, calling it a "self-inflicted setback." "The government hopes for the swift normalization of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex," the Ministry of Unification said in a statement issued by its spokesperson. The ministry noted that in August 2013, the two Koreas signed an agreement during working-level talks guaranteeing the complex's normal operations regardless of the political situation. "The unilateral shutdown of the complex in February 2016 amounted to a self-inflicted setback that undermined the foundation of mutual trust and shared growth between the two Koreas," the statement said. Launched in 2004, the joint inter-Korean venture allowed South Korean manufacturerFeb 10, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Spy agency, military intelligence unit raided over alleged drone flights to N. KoreaInvestigators on Tuesday raided the spy agency and a military intelligence command while booking three military officers as suspects over suspicions related to alleged drone flights to North Korea, officials said. A joint team of police and military investigators carried out searches and seizures at the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the Defense Intelligence Command and 16 other locations, including the suspects' homes and offices, as part of the investigation into the flights. The three active duty officers, which include a major and a captain at the intelligence unit, are suspected of involvement in the drone incursions. The joint investigation was launched last month after North Korea claimed South Korea infringed on its sovereignty with drone incursions in September and on Jan. 4. Investigators had earlier focused the investigation on three civilian suspects, including a graduate student in his 30s who claimed responsibility for the flights, before identifying his connections with the intelligence unit. The command has reportedly said the student, surnamed Oh, cooperated in operFeb 10, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim expects army's 'outstanding' role in next 5 years on founding anniv. of armed forcesNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said the country's armed forces will further play an "outstanding" role in the next five years as he visited the defense ministry to mark the 78th founding anniversary of the military ahead of a key party congress, state media reported Monday. Kim made a congratulatory visit to the Ministry of National Defense the previous day to mark the 78th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army (KPA), according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). His visit came ahead of the North's ninth party congress set for late February, where Kim is expected to announce his major policies on the military, diplomacy, the economy and other areas for the next five years. In a speech Sunday, the North's leader hinted that he would unveil a new five-year plan to bolster defense capabilities at the party congress. "The coming five years that will be indicated by the Ninth Congress of the Party will be years when our army's outstanding role that no one else can perform will become further enhanced," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA. In the eighth party congress inFeb 9, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea to convene key party congress in late FebruaryNorth Korea will hold a key party congress in late February, the North's state media reported Sunday, in a rare meeting where leader Kim Jong-un is expected to announce his ruling policy, including military, diplomacy and economy. The decision by the North Korean ruling party's political bureau came at a meeting of the political bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) the previous day, which was presided over by party secretary Jo Yong-won under Kim's guidance, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "The Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee adopted with unanimous approval a decision on opening the Ninth Congress of the WPK in Pyongyang, the capital of the revolution, in late February 2026," the KCNA said. The upcoming ninth party congress, the first since the eighth in 2021, is expected to outline North Korea's key policies on the economy, diplomacy and defense. The party congress is the regime's highest decision-making body. At the Saturday meeting, participating members of the politburo and its presidium approved decisions on the qualificationFeb 8, 2026By Yonhap
Cheong Wa Dae hopes for N. Korea's response after UN decides to exempt sanctions on humanitarian aidThe presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday it hopes North Korea will respond after the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) decided to allow sanctions exemptions on humanitarian aid projects for Pyongyang. The UNSC 1718 Committee on sanctions against North Korea reached the unanimous decision Thursday (local time) to exempt sanctions on 17 humanitarian projects for the North, according to sources in Seoul. Sources say that Foreign Minister Cho Hyun asked for the Trump administration's support in providing the sanctions exemptions for the pending aid projects during his talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week. The U.S. is one of the five permanent UNSC member states that hold veto power over binding U.N. decisions. The aid projects had reportedly been held up due to Washington's objections. "Humanitarian assistance for North Korea should continue irrespective of political circumstances," a Cheong Wa Dae official said. "The UNSC sanctions on North Korea clearly state that the sanctions measures are not intended at limiting those humanitarian aid activities," theFeb 7, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea includes area near inter-Korean border in regional development planNorth Korea has included an area south of a city that once symbolized brisk inter-Korean exchanges in its 10-year regional development plan spearheaded by its leader Kim Jong-un, according to its state media Saturday. A groundbreaking ceremony in the southernmost Panmun Zone was held the previous day as the area has been selected as one of the regions subject to the Regional Development 20X10, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Since 2024, North Korea has been pushing for regional development aimed at building modern industrial plants in 20 cities and counties every year, seeking to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas in the next 10 years. Panmun Zone, named after the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, is located south of Kaesong, once home to the now-shuttered Kaesong Industrial Complex. The joint factory park was shut down in 2016 over the North's nuclear and missile tests. The KCNA reported that commencement ceremonies were also held in a few other regions on the same day, stating that more than 120 modern factories have been built across the country in theFeb 7, 2026By Yonhap
Trump administration grants sanctions relief for humanitarian aid to N. KoreaThe U.N. Security Council's sanctions committee has approved exemptions for 17 humanitarian aid projects to North Korea, sources said Friday, in a U.S.-backed move amid the Donald Trump administration's push to reengage with Pyongyang. The decision allows the resumption of aid projects that have been suspended since the first half of last year. It is widely viewed as an olive branch from the United States, as speculation grows that Trump may seek a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to China in April. The South Korean government welcomed the decision by the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) Sanctions Committee on North Korea, which oversees sanctions on Pyongyang. "The government has maintained that humanitarian assistance to North Korea should continue regardless of the political situation, and in line with that position, we have made various efforts to ensure that such aid can be delivered smoothly. We hope there will be a positive response this time," a foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity. The development came hours after a senior South KoreaFeb 6, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
UN Security Council to grant sanctions exemption for humanitarian aid to N. Korea: sourceThe U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions committee on North Korea has decided to grant a sanctions exemption for humanitarian aid projects in the reclusive state, a diplomatic source said Friday. The UNSC 1718 Committee, which enforces and oversees the sanctions against Pyongyang, reached the unanimous decision on Thursday (local time) to approve the waiver for 17 humanitarian assistance projects led by South Korea, the United States and international organizations, according to the source. The decision came after a senior South Korean government official hinted at a "new development" in North Korea-related issues "in the next few days," following talks between Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. The official signaled the breakthrough would be a "good-faith gesture" that could serve as a starting point in reengaging with the North. The procedures regarding sanctions exemptions for humanitarian aid projects in North Korea had been pending for months since the first half of last year, largely due to U.S. opposition. The provision for basic goodFeb 6, 2026By Yonhap
