American missionary-turned-human rights activist vows to raise voice for NKAmerican missionary-turned-human rights activist Kenneth Bae, who was once detained in North Korea for more than two years, said he will engage in a broadcasting propaganda initiative using shortwave radio to reach North Korean people. The head of the New Korea Foundation International said in an interview with The Korea Times that he will spearhead a public fundraising campaign to establish a North Korea-focused radio service called Korea Link. “The effort is centered on North Korean citizens rather than the Kim Jong-un regime in the North,” Bae said during the interview at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Feb. 4. “The target of reunification is not the North Korean regime but the North Korean people. Unlike in the past, defection has become nearly impossible. For them, reunification is the only answer.” Bae joined 45 civic and religious organizations on the day before the interview to launch Citizens’ Solidarity for ONE KOREA, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that opposes the Lee Jae Myung administration’s so-called “two-state framework” and seeks to lead the two KoFeb 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Unification ministry rejects claims of 'submissive' stance toward N. KoreaThe unification ministry on Wednesday rejected media criticism that it maintains a "submissive" stance toward North Korea after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young made back-to-back remarks expressing regrets over actions that strained ties with the regime. "Some are portraying the government's peace efforts as a submissive stance toward the North ... but the government is seeking to create conditions for inter-Korean trust in pursuit of peaceful coexistence," the ministry said in a press release. The media criticism came after Chung expressed regret the previous day over the alleged privately led drone dispatch to North Korea in recent months and Seoul's 2016 shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. "We need the courage to acknowledge the wrongs we have committed, and in that perspective, the drone dispatch was a clear wrongdoing," the ministry said, adding that such past missteps must be overcome. The Lee Jae Myung administration has repeatedly extended overtures for dialogue to Pyongyang since taking office last June, although Pyongyang has rFeb 11, 2026By Yonhap
North Korea says 50,000-unit housing construction project in Pyongyang nearing completionNorth Korea said Wednesday that a landmark housing project launched at a previous party congress to build 50,000 living units in Pyongyang will soon be complete, marking a major preparatory step ahead of another party congress later this month. "The goal of building 50,000 living units in the capital, set at the eighth party congress, is nearing ... final completion according to the party-set schedule," the Rodong Sinmun, the party-run newspaper, said. The housing construction is a pet project of leader Kim Jong-un, unveiled at the 2021 congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, aimed at addressing housing shortages and enhancing living standards. Under the project, a total of 40,000 living units were constructed in Pyongyang's Songsin and Songhwa districts in 2022 and in the Hwasong district from 2023 to 2025, with the remaining 10,000 units now nearing completion. The newspaper said the project created "a model modern city" equipped with advanced infrastructure, road networks and green zones over a five-year period. "This grand and elaborate constructions represent the remarkable changesFeb 11, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea warns Japan against forging military alliances as war criminalNorth Korea warned Wednesday that Japan, a war criminal country, should not forge military alliances with foreign nations, slamming its recent expansion of defense equipment trade with Canada. The Rodong Sinmun, the North's most widely read newspaper published by the ruling party, issued the warning, citing a recent equipment and technology transfer agreement between Japan and Canada aimed at laying the groundwork for exchanges of defense equipment and technology. The newspaper accused Japan of "creating an environment favorable to realizing its ambitions of overseas invasion by strengthening military collusion with global powers." The paper claimed signing military agreements, exchanging defense equipment and information, and staging joint military exercises between countries are possible only under military alliances, accusing Japan of effectively having such military alliances. "It is not too much to say that Japan has practically established military alliances with members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and many other countries," the Rodong Sinmun said. As a war criminal coFeb 11, 2026By Yonhap
AnalysisWhat to expect from North Korea's upcoming party congressNorth Korea is set to convene a ruling Workers' Party congress later this month, a closely watched political gathering that will outline the country's military and foreign policy priorities throughout 2031, as well as the future of Kim Jong-un's leadership structure. Held every five years, the congress is North Korea’s largest political event. Thousands of delegates from across the country gather in Pyongyang, where the leader reviews the past term and unveils a new five-year plan outlining domestic and foreign policy priorities. The political bureau of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea decided last week to open the ninth congress in late February, according to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency. While the exact date has not been disclosed, recent developments suggest that preparations are in the final stages. Kim has attended a series of ceremonies marking the completion of economic projects, moves seen as an effort to frame the upcoming congress as a celebratory milestone. According to South Korea's Ministry of Unification, the gathering, whicFeb 11, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
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
