Chinese officials visit N. Korean tourism zone for Lunar New YearChina's Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun and other embassy officials have visited a beach resort area in North Korea on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, state media reported Sunday, raising views on whether Pyongyang is seeking to attract Chinese tourists. Wang and other members of the Chinese Embassy in North Korea attended the friendly meeting that took place at the Wonsan-Kalma beach resort area the previous day, also attended by the North's Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-ho, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Pyongyang's foreign ministry hosted a banquet to mark the Lunar New Year at a landmark hotel in the coastal tourist district, the KCNA said. During the gathering, participants expressed their "will to further advance the friendly ties between their two nations by upholding the noble intentions of their top leaders," it added. It marked the first time the North's state media carried a report on Chinese Embassy officials visiting the Wonsan-Kalma tourism zone that opened in July last year, which is known to accommodate up to around 20,000 visitors. North KoFeb 15, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea observes longer Lunar New Year holiday this year, combined with late leader's birthdayNorth Korea is expected to observe a longer Lunar New Year holiday this year, as it immediately follows the national holiday marking the birthday of late former leader Kim Jong-il. North Korea observes a one-day Lunar New Year holiday, which falls on Tuesday this year, shorter than South Korea's three-day holiday. This year's Lunar New Year falls a day after the late leader's birthday, Monday following Sunday, giving North Koreans a three-day holiday. Generally, North Koreans observe the new year according to the Western calendar, while South Koreans celebrate Lunar New Year more extravagantly. The socialist North Korea initially renounced the traditional Korean holiday as a feudal vestige before reinstating it in 1989, along with the other traditional holiday of Chuseok, under the Kim Jong-il regime. North Korea now uses the traditional holiday as an occasion not only to honor families' ancestors but also to celebrate the achievements of its two late leaders, including state founder Kim Il-sung, and to bolster allegiance to the current leader, Kim Jong-un. On Lunar New Year, North KoreansFeb 15, 2026By Yonhap
NK leader again inspects construction of memorial for troops deployed for Russia's war against UkraineNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has again visited the site of a memorial under construction for troops killed while fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine, state media reported Saturday. Kim inspected construction efforts for the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations the previous day after the project broke ground last October, according to the Korean Central News Agency. "He called upon the service personnel, designers and creators, involved in the construction of the memorial museum, to deeply cherish the profound feelings of respect of the Party and people and successfully build the museum into a sacred monument," it said. It marked Kim's third visit to the memorial under construction after attending last year's groundbreaking and a tree planting ceremony last month. Since October 2024, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons to support Russia's war efforts, with thousands believed to have been killed.Feb 14, 2026By Yonhap
Cheong Wa Dae expresses hopes of restoring trust with N. Korea following Pyongyang's statementCheong Wa Dae expressed hope Friday for restoring mutual trust with North Korea and easing tensions, after the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called the unification minister's recent expression of regret over alleged civilian drone flights into the North "sensible." The response came hours after Kim Yo-jong assessed Unification Minister Chung Dong-young voicing regret over drone incursions into North Korea as "sensible behavior" and urged Seoul to take steps to prevent a recurrence. "The two Koreas need to restore trust by easing tensions through mutual communication," a senior presidential official said, adding the two sides "should refrain from actions that undermine the precious peace between them." During a speech at a Catholic Mass on Tuesday, Chung expressed regret over the drone dispatches from the South on Jan. 4 and in September, claimed by Pyongyang last month. The recent exchange of messages between Seoul and Pyongyang was seen as a positive development in the frayed inter-Korean ties, as the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks to resume dialogue to ease milFeb 13, 2026By Yonhap
S. Korea vows 'immediate' action to prevent drone incursions into N. KoreaThe unification ministry pledged Friday to take "immediate" action to prevent a recurrence of drone incursions into North Korea after the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un issued a statement calling for prevention measures. The ministry's pledge came hours after Kim Yo-jong called Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's recent expression of regret over drone incursions "sensible behavior" and urged South Korea to take steps to prevent a recurrence. "In order to prevent similar cases, (the ministry) will draw up prevention measures and implement them immediately," ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho said in a regular briefing. The ministry takes Kim's statement as "the North signifying the need for joint inter-Korean efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and prevent emergency incidents," the spokesperson said. He said both Koreas may share a common desire to avoid tensions, expressing expectations that "inter-Korean trust, which was destroyed under the previous (Yoon Suk Yeol) government will recover if both sides seek communication with sincerity and frankness."Feb 13, 2026By Yonhap
Chinese envoy reaffirms policy to advance traditional friendship with N. Korea: newspaperChina's Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun has reaffirmed Beijing's "unwavering" policy to advance the traditional friendship with North Korea, a North Korean newspaper reported Friday. "Safeguarding, cementing and advancing the traditional China-North Korea friendship is the Chinese party, and the government's unwavering policy," the Rodong Sinmun newspaper quoted Wang as saying at a Lunar New Year address at the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang the previous day. Wang also reaffirmed his country's willingness to advance the two countries' socialist causes and well-being and to safeguard regional peace and security by thoroughly accomplishing what their leaders have agreed on, the paper said. The message was delivered at a banquet at the Chinese Embassy the previous day, which was attended by Kang Yun-sok, vice chairman of the parliamentary standing committee; Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-ho; and other North Korean officials. In his own speech, Kang pledged "joint efforts with Chinese comrades" to advance bilateral relations this year.Feb 13, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea leader's daughter Ju-ae takes center stage with father in photos at Beijing embassyKim Ju-ae, daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, took center stage with her father in photos displayed on an outdoor board at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing, amid speculation that she is being positioned as his successor. The embassy's outdoor board, seen by Yonhap News Agency on Friday, was carrying 25 photos of the North Korean leader's activities, including a larger central image juxtaposing Kim with his teenage daughter. Showing their attendance together at a New Year's performance in Pyongyang, the central image featured a Chinese caption saying that Kim was sending New Year's blessings to the people, without mentioning Ju-ae. The North Korean Embassy in Beijing has previously displayed images of Kim, sometimes in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, but this is the first time that a photo of him with his daughter has taken center stage. The other 24 photos also included several images of Ju-ae with the leader, including their attendance at the inauguration of the Wonsan-Kalma beach resort area in June last year, and Ju-ae shaking hands with Xi in Beijing on theFeb 13, 2026By Yonhap
North Korean leader's sister calls Seoul's regret over drone incursion 'sensible'The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called the South Korean unification minister's expression of regret over the drone incursion into the North "sensible behavior" and demanded steps to prevent such a recurrence. In a statement, Kim Yo-jong said she thinks it "fortunate" that Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Tuesday officially expressed regret over the drone incursions into North Korea, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "I appreciate it as quite sensible behavior," Kim said. On Tuesday, the minister expressed regret over drones allegedly sent by civilians to the North during a congratulatory speech at a Catholic Mass, saying South Korea seeks "mutual recognition and peaceful coexistence between the two Koreas." It marked the first such expression of regret from Seoul since the North claimed last month that South Korea had sent drones equipped with surveillance equipment in September and on Jan. 4. The South immediately launched an investigation into the claim and identified three civilian suspects, including a graduate student in his 30s, aFeb 13, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea in process of designating leader's daughter Ju-ae as successor: NISNorth Korea appears to have entered the stage of designating leader Kim Jong-un's daughter Ju-ae as the successor, the spy agency was quoted as saying by lawmakers Thursday, marking a stepped-up assessment from its earlier evaluation of her as the "most likely successor." The National Intelligence Service (NIS) cited signs of Ju-ae expressing her views on certain state policies as one of the grounds for its latest assessment during a closed-door briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee, Reps. Park Sun-won and Lee Seong-kweun told reporters. "As Kim Ju-ae has shown her presence at various events, including the founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army and her visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, and signs have been detected of her voicing her opinion on certain state policies, the NIS believes she has now entered the stage of being designated as successor," Lee said. Lee said the latest assessment marked a step forward from the agency's previous views when it described Ju-ae as being "trained" to become a successor, to now assessing her as being at the stage of "suFeb 12, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea holds events to gather momentum ahead of key party congressNorth Korea has held various events to gather public momentum ahead of its key party congress set for late this month, featuring an art exhibition and ceremonies for local farmers, state media reported Thursday. A book and art exhibition took place at the Korean Art Museum in Pyongyang the previous day, showcasing some 10,000 literature and science books on the political ideology and performances of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Also on display at the exhibition were paintings, sculptures and other artifacts featuring the daily lives of the North Korean people, the KCNA said. The state media also reported that social organizations sent farming equipment, such as tractors, to local farmers in South Hwanghae Province. The moves are seen as part of efforts to build momentum ahead of the upcoming key party congress, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to announce his major policies on the military, diplomacy, the economy and other areas for the next five years.Feb 12, 2026By Yonhap
