Cheong Wa Dae hopes for N. Korea's response after UN decides to exempt sanctions on humanitarian aidThe presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday it hopes North Korea will respond after the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) decided to allow sanctions exemptions on humanitarian aid projects for Pyongyang. The UNSC 1718 Committee on sanctions against North Korea reached the unanimous decision Thursday (local time) to exempt sanctions on 17 humanitarian projects for the North, according to sources in Seoul. Sources say that Foreign Minister Cho Hyun asked for the Trump administration's support in providing the sanctions exemptions for the pending aid projects during his talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week. The U.S. is one of the five permanent UNSC member states that hold veto power over binding U.N. decisions. The aid projects had reportedly been held up due to Washington's objections. "Humanitarian assistance for North Korea should continue irrespective of political circumstances," a Cheong Wa Dae official said. "The UNSC sanctions on North Korea clearly state that the sanctions measures are not intended at limiting those humanitarian aid activities," theFeb 7, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea includes area near inter-Korean border in regional development planNorth Korea has included an area south of a city that once symbolized brisk inter-Korean exchanges in its 10-year regional development plan spearheaded by its leader Kim Jong-un, according to its state media Saturday. A groundbreaking ceremony in the southernmost Panmun Zone was held the previous day as the area has been selected as one of the regions subject to the Regional Development 20X10, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Since 2024, North Korea has been pushing for regional development aimed at building modern industrial plants in 20 cities and counties every year, seeking to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas in the next 10 years. Panmun Zone, named after the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, is located south of Kaesong, once home to the now-shuttered Kaesong Industrial Complex. The joint factory park was shut down in 2016 over the North's nuclear and missile tests. The KCNA reported that commencement ceremonies were also held in a few other regions on the same day, stating that more than 120 modern factories have been built across the country in theFeb 7, 2026By Yonhap
Trump administration grants sanctions relief for humanitarian aid to N. KoreaThe U.N. Security Council's sanctions committee has approved exemptions for 17 humanitarian aid projects to North Korea, sources said Friday, in a U.S.-backed move amid the Donald Trump administration's push to reengage with Pyongyang. The decision allows the resumption of aid projects that have been suspended since the first half of last year. It is widely viewed as an olive branch from the United States, as speculation grows that Trump may seek a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to China in April. The South Korean government welcomed the decision by the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) Sanctions Committee on North Korea, which oversees sanctions on Pyongyang. "The government has maintained that humanitarian assistance to North Korea should continue regardless of the political situation, and in line with that position, we have made various efforts to ensure that such aid can be delivered smoothly. We hope there will be a positive response this time," a foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity. The development came hours after a senior South KoreaFeb 6, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
UN Security Council to grant sanctions exemption for humanitarian aid to N. Korea: sourceThe U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions committee on North Korea has decided to grant a sanctions exemption for humanitarian aid projects in the reclusive state, a diplomatic source said Friday. The UNSC 1718 Committee, which enforces and oversees the sanctions against Pyongyang, reached the unanimous decision on Thursday (local time) to approve the waiver for 17 humanitarian assistance projects led by South Korea, the United States and international organizations, according to the source. The decision came after a senior South Korean government official hinted at a "new development" in North Korea-related issues "in the next few days," following talks between Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. The official signaled the breakthrough would be a "good-faith gesture" that could serve as a starting point in reengaging with the North. The procedures regarding sanctions exemptions for humanitarian aid projects in North Korea had been pending for months since the first half of last year, largely due to U.S. opposition. The provision for basic goodFeb 6, 2026By Yonhap
UN rapporteur urges protection for N. Korean POWs in Ukraine, but leaves decision with KyivTwo North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine while fighting for Russia could, under international law, be transferred to a third country or granted asylum in Kyiv, Elizabeth Salmon, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on North Korea’s human rights, said on Friday. But she added that the decision is ultimately up to Kyiv, and that she would respect whatever course Ukraine chooses. "There are reasonable grounds to believe that in the DPRK, cases of torture and ill-treatment have been very well documented over the years. So I think that Ukraine has some legal obligations concerning the principle of non-refoulement. It means that one state should not repatriate people to a place where there are reasonable grounds to believe they would face torture or ill-treatment," Salmon said during a press conference in Seoul when asked about the North Korean soldiers held in Ukraine. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. "So, I think that it is up to Ukraine to respect international law and to make the best decision," she added, noting the possibiFeb 6, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
North Korean POW in Ukraine: 'There is nothing I can do if they don’t take me'“I would be grateful if they take me. If they don’t, there’s nothing I can do.” At first glance, the North Korean prisoner of war captured in Ukraine looked rather calm as he appeared on MBC’s investigative program, “PD Notebook.” But in reality, only one outcome awaits if he fails to make it to South Korea. “I won’t survive,” said the prisoner, describing what would happen to him if he were returned to North Korea. In North Korea, soldiers are taught that being captured is an act of treason and urged to choose death instead. “Everyone else blew themselves up. I failed,” the prisoner said. The two captured soldiers — severely wounded and lamenting that they should have died as well — are just in their 20s. Nevertheless, both expressed an explicit desire to be sent to South Korea, and not repatriated to North. International law is clear on this matter. Geneva Convention requires prisoners of war to be repatriated after hostilities end. However, if there is credible risk of torture or persecution, repatriation against a prisoner’s will is prohibited. Seoul’s sFeb 6, 2026By Hankookilbo
N. Korea hails economic policy achievements ahead of key party congressNorth Korea on Friday touted that "new records" have been achieved for its people's livelihoods, as the country continues to praise the outcomes of its economic policies in the run-up to a meeting of the highest decision-making party congress. "New standards and new records have been set in many units of the national economy, and the January plans for people's livelihood were brilliantly accomplished," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an article on preparations for the upcoming ninth congress of the Workers' Party of Korea. The news agency said factories, mines and farms in the metal, chemistry, electricity, coal, machinery and extraction sectors have outperformed their targets, underscoring ongoing nationwide preparations for the congress. The party congress, widely expected to convene later in February, is the highest decision-making body in North Korea. The upcoming meeting, the first since the eighth congress in 2021, is expected to outline the country's policies on the economy, external relations and defense for the next five years. The regime has recently published a sFeb 6, 2026By Yonhap
Seoul official stresses need to improve lives of N. Koreans through inter-Korean exchangesVice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung on Thursday highlighted the need to improve the lives of North Koreans through inter-Korean exchanges during his meeting with the U.N. rapporteur on North Korean human rights, the unification ministry said. Kim made the remarks while speaking with Elizabeth Salmon, U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights situation, as he explained Seoul's policy on North Korea's human rights and peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. "The vice minister underscored the importance of making substantive improvements to the lives of North Korean people through inter-Korean exchanges and the establishment of peace," the ministry said. He also outlined various policy measures for humanitarian solutions to separated families, abductees, detainees and prisoners of war. Salmon voiced concerns over the continued isolation of North Korea, saying she is willing to cooperate with Pyongyang on areas where possible, such as technical assistance, according to the ministry. She echoed the importance of mutual recognition and respect between the two Koreas, and caFeb 5, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korean troops still active in Russia's Kursk region against Ukraine: reportNorth Korean troops dispatched to Russia for combat in Ukraine in 2024 were still carrying out attacks targeting Ukraine's forces in border areas, according to a Ukrainian media report. Citing Ukraine's military intelligence agency HUR, the Kyiv Independent reported Wednesday (local time) that North Korean troops were stationed in Russia's Kursk region as of January and launching attacks on Ukrainian border provinces. The report said the North Korean soldiers were firing barrel artillery and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) targeting Ukrainian forces, and conducting aerial and artillery reconnaissance. Without disclosing the exact number, the intelligence agency reportedly said the North Korean soldiers stationed in Kursk were rotated regularly under a bilateral agreement between Moscow and Pyongyang. It also said around 3,000 trained soldiers have since returned to North Korea, with most of them passing on skills gained in war to the North Korean army, according to HUR. North Korea has sent more than 11,000 combat troops to support Russia's war efforts since October 2024. North KoreFeb 5, 2026By Yonhap
Fears mount over N. Korea's arms drive as US-Russia nuclear pact expiresThe expiration of the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia is heightening concerns that a renewed arms race among major powers could embolden North Korea to expand its nuclear ambitions, analysts said. Experts said that the erosion of arms control among global nuclear powers could reinforce Pyongyang's belief that nuclear weapons remain its most reliable guarantee of national security. The Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, known as New START, effectively expired Thursday. Signed in 2010, the treaty was designed to reduce the risk of a catastrophic nuclear confrontation by capping the two largest nuclear powers' deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550. While the agreement had served as a key pillar of global nuclear arms control, it began to unravel after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when U.S.-Russia relations deteriorated and on-site inspections were suspended. With the treaty's expiration, arms control cooperation between Washington and Moscow in the post-Cold War eraFeb 5, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
