Foreign minister vows pragmatic approach to Korean Peninsula denuclearizationSouth Korea will pursue a phased and practical approach to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and stronger cooperation with like-minded countries to advance regional peace and stability, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Thursday. Cho outlined South Korea's foreign policy priorities during an official dinner for participants of the 21st Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity under way on the southern resort island of Jeju, according to the ministry. "We will pursue sustainable peace and coexistence, while taking a phased and practical approach toward the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula," Cho said, underscoring the importance of peaceful coexistence and conflict prevention. Cho also reaffirmed the country's commitment to strengthening its own defense capabilities based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance, while expanding cooperation with like-minded countries, including the Group of Seven (G7), as well as emerging and developing countries in the Global South. South Korea will seek to serve as a bridge among nations by leveraging its strengths in development cooperation, advaJun 25, 2026By Yonhap
Unification minister renews call for multilateral dialogue to foster peace on Korean PeninsulaSouth Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Thursday renewed his call for multilateral dialogue to restore inter-Korean trust and foster lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, stressing the need for support from the international community, including the United States. Chung made the call in a written message delivered at a peace forum in Washington. The renewed call comes after he proposed a four-way dialogue involving the two Koreas, the U.S. and China on the denuclearization of the peninsula during his visit to Ulaanbaatar earlier this month. "Now is the time to build an institutionalized peace on the Korean Peninsula. It is time to start multilateral dialogue to rebuild trust between the two Koreas and transition to a peace regime on the peninsula," Chung said in the message for the forum hosted by the Korean American Public Action Committee, a nonprofit organization. "The peace regime would serve as a foundation for sustainable peace not only on the Korean Peninsula, but also in the entire Northeast Asia. Toward that end, we need support and cooperation from the internatJun 25, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea again claims US started Korean War under 'well-crafted' scriptNorth Korea on Thursday reiterated its claim that the 1950-53 Korean War was the result of invasion by the United States under a "well-crafted script," while highlighting its resolve to confront South Korea and the U.S. The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's most widely read newspaper, issued the claim in an editorial in commemoration of the 76th anniversary of the Korean War. "In the early hours of June 25, 1950, the South Korean puppet army launched an armed invasion against our republic," the Rodong Sinmun said, adding the North had to engage in a defensive war for 1,129 days due to "warmongering" by U.S. imperialists. The newspaper also flatly denied the legitimacy of the participation of U.N. forces in the Korean War, despite the U.N. Security Council's adoption of a resolution calling on member states to assist South Korea's war effort. In a separate front-page editorial, the newspaper urged North Korean people to arm themselves with a strong "anti-U.S. struggle spirit," highlighting the country's determination to fight the U.S. and South Korea. Historians have repeatedly confirmed that tJun 25, 2026By Yonhap
InterviewSeoul-Tokyo economic security ties to deepen as NK-Russia axis grows, former Japanese spy chief saysSEOGWIPO, Jeju Island — South Korea and Japan will deepen economic security ties as the bond between North Korea and Russia grows stronger, former Japanese spy chief Shigeru Kitamura said Wednesday. "North Korea has been focusing on nuclear issues and has recently been putting efforts into building intense relations with Russia. It is the reality that Pyongyang is supplying their warheads to Russia in return for foreign currency," Kitamura said in an interview with The Korea Times on the sidelines of the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity. "In the future, economic security between Seoul and Tokyo will be a big part in bilateral cooperation and the two countries will be able to cooperate in many forms." Kitamura, a former secretary-general of Japan's National Security Secretariat and one of the key aides to the Abe administration, attended the forum as a speaker for a session titled "Between Collective Defense and Collective Security: Toward a New Security Architecture in East Asia." During the session, he argued that alliances are essential to keeping the region stable, particularly aJun 24, 2026By Park Ji-won
North Korea bans US dual nationals from entering country: travel firmNorth Korea has banned American citizens holding dual nationality from entering the country, marking a reversal from an earlier policy allowing U.S. nationals to circumvent restrictions by using passports from other countries. In a blog post published Wednesday, a travel agency specializing in tours to North Korea said the restriction applies to all U.S. visitors, including those looking to travel for tourism, business or sporting events in Pyongyang. “The restriction comes into effect immediately with applicants being checked for any links to U.S. citizenship during the visa approval process,” Young Pioneer Tours (YPT) said. “Individuals found to hold American nationality alongside another passport will no longer be granted permission to enter.” As a result, citizens of countries that have friendly relations with North Korea will no longer be able to travel to the country if they hold U.S. nationality. Pyongyang’s decision effectively closes a loophole that allowed Americans to visit North Korea despite a 2017 travel ban by the U.S. government, which Washington has renewed annJun 24, 2026By NK News
N. Korea commissions 5,000-ton destroyer; Kim expects dramatic boost in naval powerNorth Korea has commissioned a new 5,000-ton destroyer with leader Kim Jong-un voicing expectations that the Navy's combat capabilities will be strengthened to a level "admirable beyond imagination," state media reported Wednesday. Kim made the remarks the previous day at a commissioning ceremony for the "new-type multi-mission" destroyer Choe Hyon at the western port of Nampho, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The ceremony came as the North unveiled the Choe Hyon destroyer in April last year in an effort to enhance the country's naval power. North Korea has conducted weapons tests from the Choe Hyon in recent months ahead of its commissioning. In a congratulatory speech, Kim said the destroyer was confirmed to possess "the most perfect, complex operational and combat capability," according to the KCNA. "The combat capability of our Navy will grow to be admirable beyond imagination," he was quoted as saying by the report. Referring to the North Korean navy's past reputation as the weakest branch of its military, Kim said, "Things have changed obviously now." Kim describeJun 24, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's border reinforcement move not violation of armistice: ex-UNC officialA former United Nations Command (UNC) official has said North Korea's intensified border fencing is not a violation of the Armistice Agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War, assessing it as "construction and maintenance activities." Michael MacArthur Bosack, the former deputy secretary of the UNC Military Armistice Commission, wrote the message on his social media, as North Korean troops have been building the fences very close to the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) separating the two Koreas. "In my time at UNCMAC, I saw no evidence of the KPA boundary hardening activities being hostile in nature," Bosack wrote on X on Monday, using the acronym of the Korean People's Army, the North's military. North Korea reportedly installed barbed wire fences just 80-90 meters from the inter-Korean border, clearing land to plant mines as close as 5-10 meters to the MDL, according to local media reports. On whether Pyongyang's move constitutes a violation of the armistice, Bosack claimed the activities are "construction and maintenance" work, noting that the South Korean army also does the same thJun 23, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea vows to expand nuclear arsenal at key party meeting: KCNANorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for efforts to further increase his country's nuclear assets "with a goal of overtaking the world," Pyongyang's state media reported Tuesday. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) convened the second plenary meeting of its ninth central committee for three days from Saturday, presided over by leader Kim, to assess how the country's policies have fared in the first half of the year and review the agenda set at a major party congress in February. The meeting reaffirmed North Korea's commitment to expanding its nuclear forces, describing them as "the core of the military sovereignty" of the nation and "the pivot of implementing the strategy for deterring or fighting a war." The report said the plenary session unanimously decided that "to thoroughly exercise the position of a nuclear weapons state is the most correct and unique way to actively and confidently cope with the unpredictable international military and political situation getting complicated in multiple ways." "With the nuclear technoJun 23, 2026By Yonhap
Kakao Map showing detailed North Korean geographical data goes viral onlineSouth Korean map service Kakao Map’s detailed geographical data of North Korea went viral online recently, as the information had previously been blocked on South Korean apps. Many users on X, formerly Twitter, shared posts Monday saying they found it surprising that Kakao Map includes detailed data about North Korea. “Kakao Map shows us Pyongyang. I feel like I have been there,” a user wrote. The reactions reflect the decade-long censorship against North Korean information. Due to the fact that the two Koreas are technically at war and other political reasons, South Koreans have long been prevented from accessing information about the North. For instance, if a South Korean comes into contact with someone from the North, they are required to report it to the government. A Korea Times reporter using Kakao Map found that anyone can zoom in and zoom out to see the names of North Korean mountains, railway stops and universities. While the reporter was not able to search the app by searching place names, by simply moving the cursor, details on the map could easily be reviewed. Kakao, theJun 22, 2026By Park Ji-won
N. Korea blames US, West for 'revival of Nazism,' defends Russia over Ukraine warNorth Korea condemned the United States and other Western countries Monday, accusing them of fueling concerns over the revival of Nazism, on the anniversary of Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. In an article carried by the Korean Central News Agency, the North claimed that "modern-day Nazi forces" have reemerged, heightening global concern over what it described as a challenge to the future of humanity. "The danger of neo-Nazism is being highlighted more seriously through the current situation in Ukraine," the report said. "It cannot be separated from the schemes of the U.S. and the West, which have strongly defended and supported Ukraine on the international stage." The North also vowed to "firmly thwart the imperialists' attempts to revive Nazism" in order to "safeguard sovereignty, security and international justice." The remarks appeared aimed at justifying Russia's invasion of Ukraine while showcasing solidarity between Pyongyang and Moscow. Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. An estimated 27 million Soviet soldiers and civilians were killed during WorlJun 22, 2026By Yonhap
