S. Korea's nuclear envoy urges N. Korea to comply with UNSC resolutions, return to dialogueSouth Korea's nuclear envoy has called on North Korea to comply with U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on the North's nuclear and missile programs and return to the dialogue table, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. Jeong Yeon-doo, vice minister for diplomatic strategy and intelligence, made the call at the high-level segment of the Conference on Disarmament held Monday in Geneva, Switzerland, according to the ministry. "We call upon the DPRK to respond to our sincere efforts and to engage constructively in dialogue, and also to return to full compliance with the NPT and relevant UNSC resolutions," Jeong said, referring to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. DPRK is the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Jeong also voiced "deep" concerns about North Korea's illegal military cooperation with Russia, stressing that such cooperation must "cease immediately" as it seriously undermines international peace and security, the ministry said. Seoul's envoy said while the government maintains the goal of "complete denucleFeb 24, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim says no shifting environment can deter country's progress at party congressNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said the country's progress would not be deterred by any changes in the security environment at the ongoing party congress, state media reported Tuesday. But he did not issue any message to South Korea or the United States despite their continued overtures to resume dialogue, in a possible sign that the North may leave room for a policy shift amid the fluid international situation. "No challenge or change in the situation can delay or check our advance," Kim told the congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea the previous day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. He also called for more boldness in "overcoming and eliminating backwardness and evil practices" in his "concluding" speech to the congress, according to the KCNA. The party congress opened Thursday to review policy outcomes from the previous 2021 congress and set new goals for the next five years. But in a speech, Kim made no mention of South Korea and the U.S., which have extended overtures to resume diplomacy with Pyongyang. It is rare for the North Korean party congress to avoid sFeb 24, 2026By Yonhap
China's Xi congratulates Kim on reelection to top party post, vows to advance tiesChinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his reelection as the ruling party's general secretary, vowing to strengthen strategic cooperation with Pyongyang, a Chinese news report said. Xi sent the celebratory telegram to Kim after the North Korean leader was reelected as general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea during the ongoing party congress, Xinhua News Agency reported. Xi touted Kim for "achieving new results in building a Korean socialist country" and said his reelection reflects "the high trust and heartfelt support" of the party, the government and the people, according to the report. Xi described China and North Korea as "friendly socialist neighbors," reaffirming his party and government's "unwavering policy" to maintain and solidly advance bilateral ties. The Chinese leader also recalled his recent meetings with Kim, proposing that the two leaders implement major agreements reached during the meetings so as to "open a new chapter" in bilateral relations. The North's official Korean Central News AgencFeb 23, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's parliamentary chief, other seniors excluded from list of party central committee membersChoe Ryong-hae, the 76-year-old chairman of the North Korean parliament who once served as the top military leader, has been excluded from members of the country's ruling party central committee, along with other senior officials, signaling a major generational shift in leadership. Choe, party secretary Pak Jong-chon, party adviser for defense Ri Pyong-chol and other senior officials were not included in a new list of members of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). On the fourth day of the ninth party congress on Sunday, the party elected 138 members and 111 alternate members of its central committee. Including Choe, Pak and Ri, nearly 70 members of the central committee were replaced compared with the list from the eighth congress in 2021, marking a significant reshuffle of the top leadership body. Membership in the party central committee is almost a prerequisite for assuming a major official post in North Korea. Choe has served as director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army and then chairman oFeb 23, 2026By Yonhap
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
