Police question graduate student claiming responsibility over alleged drone flights to N. KoreaA graduate student who claimed responsibility over alleged recent drone flights to North Korea underwent police questioning over the weekend, officials said Monday. The 30-something suspect, surnamed Oh, appeared before police Saturday after claiming in a media interview earlier this month that he flew the drones himself following North Korea's announcement of the alleged flights. The North's military claimed on Jan. 10 that South Korea infringed on its sovereignty with drone incursions in September and on Jan. 4, prompting South Korean police to launch a joint investigation with the military. Investigators also questioned another suspect, surnamed Jang, accused of building the drones, for the second time on Friday. The suspects face charges of violating the Aviation Safety Act and the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act. Investigators have widened the probe after the two suspects were found to have co-founded a drone manufacturing company and to have worked at the presidential office under former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Police are reportedly looking into possible motivesJan 26, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim congratulates Vietnamese leader on reelection: KCNANorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has congratulated Vietnam's leader To Lam on his reelection as head of the ruling party, expressing confidence that bilateral cooperation will develop in all fields, the North's state media reported Monday. Kim delivered the message Friday, the same day the 68-year-old Lam was reelected as head of state for a five-year term at the ruling party's central committee, extending his top leadership position, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "Your re-assumption of the important duty of the general secretary is an expression of deep trust of all your party members and the Vietnamese people in you," Kim was quoted as telling Lam. Kim also referred to an agreement reached with Lam last year, expressing "belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between our two parties and two countries with a long history and tradition will expand and develop substantially in all fields." Lam was among several state leaders who visited North Korea in October last year to attend a military parade marking the 80th founding anniversary of its ruling party. LJan 26, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim inspects sculptures, artwork honoring soldiers killed in Ukraine warNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected sculptures and artwork being created for a memorial museum commemorating the country's soldiers killed in Russia's war against Ukraine, saying they will convey the soldiers' "legendary feats and glorious life." Kim visited the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang the previous day and inspected a number of sculptures and artwork that will be erected at the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations, including a tower and decorative engravings for an outer wall, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. In October, North Korea launched the construction of the museum honoring the country's young soldiers who were killed while fighting on Russia's side in the war with Ukraine, marking the first memorial in the North to commemorate soldiers killed in overseas action. Earlier this month, Kim visited its construction site in Pyongyang and dug the first shovelful of earth for the museum's tree planting. North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons to support Russia's war efforts, with thousands believedJan 26, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea completes building another tourist area on east coastNorth Korea has held a completion ceremony for a new tourist zone on the east coast, state media reported Friday, after it opened the Kalma beach resort last year in an effort to foster the tourism industry. The ceremony of inaugurating the Yombunjin Coastal Park Area in North Hamgyong Province took place Wednesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). In July 2011, North Korea launched the building of a hotel in the Yombunjin coastal areas under the instruction of then leader Kim Jong-il, but the construction had lagged for a long time. Incumbent leader Kim Jong-un inspected the site in 2018, ordering a reconsideration of the hotel's design and the construction of a modern coastal park. The KCNA said Yombunjin Haeyang Hostel and the beach area were splendidly built, with facilities ranging from movie theaters and shops to video arcades. "(The tourist park) will provide good rest and satisfactory convenience to not only the people in the province but also people who stop by for business trips," Pak Myong-ho, chairman of the North Hamgyong Provincial People's Committee, saidJan 23, 2026By Yonhap
Gov't urged to make all-out efforts to bring back N. Korean POWs in UkraineThe government should mobilize all diplomatic resources to bring back two North Korean prisoners of war held captive in Ukraine, an opposition lawmaker said Thursday, as media reports have said the North Koreans want to defect to South Korea. Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party also called for President Lee Jae Myung to send special envoys to Kyiv for negotiations with Ukraine authorities to help repatriate the North Koreans to South Korea. "They are not simply enemies of Ukraine, but potential members of South Korea who yearn for freedom," Yu said in a statement, citing recent media reports that showed the two captives expressed their desire to be sent to South Korea. Yu said the two should not be repatriated to North Korea under the Third Geneva Convention and the international principle of non-refoulement, or not forcing refugees back to countries where they face the risk of persecution. He urged President Lee to dispatch a special envoy to Ukraine to finalize the repatriation process by negotiating directly with local authorities. North Korea has deployed thousJan 22, 2026By Yonhap
South Korea earmarks $11.6 mil. for inter-Korean cooperation projectsThe South Korean government said Thursday it has approved 17.1 billion won ($11.6 million) in funding for projects promoting inter-Korean exchanges in cultural, humanitarian and economic cooperation. Experts on North Korea said the move is significant, signaling that the Ministry of Unification has reasserted its leading role in overseeing such initiatives. The decision came at a meeting of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Promotion Committee, chaired by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young. It was the committee’s first in-person meeting in four years. At the meeting, the committee approved funding for seven inter-Korean projects. Among them was 2.6 billion won for the inter-Korean compilation of the "Gyeoremal Dictionary," a joint project to document the Korean language as used in both Koreas. Another 845 million won was allocated for projects related to the joint excavation of the Manwoldae Palace site in the North Korean city of Gaesong, as the government seeks to revive the long-stalled cultural heritage initiative that has been suspended since 2018 amid heightened inter-Jan 22, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
S. Korea says to seek consultation with UNC over push to reopen border trails inside DMZThe unification ministry said Thursday it will seek consultations with the U.N. Command (UNC) over its move to reopen three shuttered trail sections within the inter-Korean buffer zone of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). In 2019, South Korea launched 11 trail routes, known as the DMZ Peace Trail, along key border cities and towns near the buffer zone, including Gimpo, Paju and Yeoncheon, providing a rare glimpse into generally inaccessible forest and security sites to the public. Three sectors of the trails in the localities of Paju, Cheorwon and Goseong inside the DMZ were, however, closed to the public in April 2024 on national security grounds amid escalated tensions with North Korea. "The government is pushing to restore three sectors of the DMZ Peace Trail, which are situated within the DMZ," a unification ministry official said. The remarks by the ministry official came a day after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young visited one of the closed trail sections in Goseong, where he renewed his commitment to reopening the trail to the public. "I will make efforts to have the Peace Trail rJan 22, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea ramps up 'people-first' policy push ahead of party congressNorth Korea is ramping up its "people-first" policy push to win public support in the run-up to an upcoming party congress, according to a North Korean newspaper Thursday. The Rodong Sinmun, the most widely read newspaper in North Korea published by the ruling party, ran a front-page article emphasizing "the party's absolute sense of service" to the people. The "people-first" principle is one of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's key policy principles, illustrated by his signature regional development projects aimed at improving living standards. "The people are the revolutionary root and life of the party," the article said. "It is our party's firm stance that any projects aimed at realizing the people's long-cherished wishes should be carried out willingly and as promptly as possible, regardless of advantages or disadvantages or the cost of any effort," it said. The newspaper claimed that the ruling Workers Party of Korea is striving to carry out "tasks aimed at improving people's well-being with ever higher goals and standards without being satisfied." The emphasis on public well-being cJan 22, 2026By Yonhap
Unification minister makes UNC-escorted visit to DMZ areaUnification Minister Chung Dong-young on Wednesday visited peace trail routes and other areas near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, the U.N. Command (UNC) said. "The minister's visit was conducted at a designated Demilitarized Zone Education and Orientation Program site," the U.S.-led UNC said, noting 15 sites have been designated for such a purpose to uphold the safety and stability of the area. "The minister also walked the established ROK Peace Trail routes south of the DMZ's Southern Boundary Line," it said, referring to the trail routes stretching from Ganghwa to Goseong, Gangwon Province, near the inter-Korean border. ROK is short for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. The UNC is an enforcer of the armistice that stopped the fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War and oversees activities inside the DMZ — a buffer zone between the two Koreas since the three-year conflict ended without a peace treaty.Jan 21, 2026By Yonhap
President prioritizes 'peaceful coexistence' over unification with North KoreaPresident Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday that the nation's ultimate goal of Korean unification is not an immediate priority, stressing that avoiding conflict and pursuing peaceful coexistence with North Korea should come first. His remarks reflect a pragmatic assessment of the current state of inter-Korean relations, with Pyongyang remaining unresponsive to the Lee administration’s repeated overtures toward rapprochement. "Unification feels like a distant prospect at the moment. We would be fortunate simply to avoid a war. Setting that aside for now, we must do everything possible to move toward a situation in which peaceful coexistence is achievable," Lee said during a New Year's press conference at Cheong Wa Dae. Lee also emphasized the importance of Washington's role in easing tensions with Pyongyang. "In that process, the role of the United States is very important," he said. "U.S. President Donald Trump is, in some ways, an unconventional figure. But I believe that quality could prove helpful in resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula." The president added that he was prepared to plJan 21, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
