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
N. Korea replaces chemical industry minister ahead of party congressNorth Korea appears to have replaced the chemical industry minister, according to state media Wednesday, as leader Kim Jong-un is dialing up discipline among officials ahead of a key party congress. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Chemical Industry Minister Kim Sun-myong delivered a speech at a completion ceremony for a catalyst production line at the Namhung Youth Chemical Complex in South Pyongan Province the previous day. Kim Chol-ha was North Korea's last-reported chemical industry minister doubling as vice premier, with the KCNA reporting on his attendance at the inauguration of a melamine resin production line at a fertilizer complex in Hungnam on June 9 last year. Wednesday's report suggests the North replaced the chemical industry minister after mid-2025. The KCNA did not elaborate on whether the chemical industry minister had been replaced or when and why the reshuffle was made, though it appears linked to Kim's ongoing tightening of discipline. In his Monday speech, the North's leader cited "incidents" at the Namhung Youth Chemical Complex and the Hungnam FerJan 21, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim praises rebuilt Onpho hot spring resortNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ceremony inaugurating a hot spring resort in the country's northeastern province, praising it as becoming a "wonderful" holiday camp for the people after years of remodeling, state media reported Wednesday. The ceremony to open the Onpho Working People's Holiday Camp took place the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The Onpho holiday camp, located in North Hamgyong Province, is North Korea's largest hot spring resort. In July 2018, the North's leader ordered the remodeling of the rest home into an all-round service center and therapy facility after harshly criticizing the poor management and sanitary conditions of the holiday camp. After looking around the rebuilt resort, Kim assessed that all the sections of the camp are arranged in a balanced manner and its architectural elements are in good harmony with the surroundings, according to the KCNA. "He said that taking a look at the holiday camp, which has been remodeled as a wonderful holiday service base for the people, made him feel proud that he has done anotJan 21, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim agreed to visit Seoul in 2018 but canceled last minute citing security concernsNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un had agreed to visit Seoul in late 2018 amid then warming inter-Korean ties, but the planned trip was abruptly canceled a day before its announcement apparently due to security concerns, a South Korean lawmaker said Tuesday. Rep. Youn Kun-young of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, who at the time served as a key presidential aide in charge of state affairs planning and monitoring, said the two Koreas had agreed on Kim's trip to Seoul following then President Moon Jae-in's visit to Pyongyang earlier that year. "Kim's visit had been agreed upon during the inter-Korean summit in September 2018 and was in the works behind the scenes," Youn, who published his memoir, said in an MBC radio interview. "There was commotion with the date fixed for Dec. 1." Youn noted that officials scoured for available hotels in the capital as an entire building had to be reserved for the hundreds of security personnel accompanying Kim. He said they had planned for Kim to board South Korea's high-speed KTX train as the North's leader said he wanted to ride the train. They had alJan 20, 2026By Yonhap
Progressive civic groups, lawmakers call for suspension of S. Korea-US military drillsProgressive civic groups, lawmakers and religious leaders on Tuesday called for the suspension of regular joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington to improve ties with Pyongyang. A coalition of 357 progressive civic and religious groups as well as 13 lawmakers, including Rep. Lee In-young of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, made the call at a press conference in Seoul, as inter-Korean relations have long remained stalled despite Seoul's efforts to repair the ties. More than 200 individuals also joined the coalition. They urged the government to "suspend joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises and halt hostilities near the inter-Korean border to improve ties with North Korea and open a path to peace." The participants also said the government should rein in and halt firing drills or drone flights that compromise the Military Demarcation Line by redefining buffer zones in the air, at sea and on land, in the spirit of the now-suspended 2018 inter-Korean tensions reduction pact. They also called on the government to renounce a North Korea policy that prioritizes military pJan 20, 2026By Yonhap
224 N. Korean defectors enter S. Korea in 2025A total of 224 North Korean defectors entered South Korea for resettlement last year, slightly down from the previous year, a unification ministry official said Tuesday. The 2025 total includes 198 female defectors and 26 male counterparts, bringing the cumulative number of North Korean defectors who have resettled in the South to 34,538, the official said. Inflows of North Korean defectors significantly dwindled during the COVID-19 pandemic amid Pyongyang's tight border controls, before rebounding to 196 in 2023 and 236 in 2024, according to the official. The official said inflows of North Korean defectors may remain at similar levels down going forward, as those who have stayed in third countries, such as China, as stopover points are expected to enter South Korea.Jan 20, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim sacks vice premier over irresponsibility ahead of key party congressNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sacked a vice premier of the North's cabinet over the official's irresponsibility in modernizing a machinery plant, state media reported Tuesday, in a rare public dismissal ahead of a key party congress. Kim dismissed Vice Premier Yang Sung-ho "on the spot" at an inauguration ceremony of the first-stage modernization project at the Ryongsong Machine Complex on Monday, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kim said the project "encountered difficulties and incurred not a little amount of economic loss, experiencing unnecessary man-made confusions," according to the report. The Ryongsong Machine Complex project was promoted under Kim's plan to advance the country's machine-building industry at the ruling Workers' Party of Korea's (WPK) eighth party congress in 2021. Kim also accused Yang of attempting to mock the party center with "unjust remarks and acts," saying he was unqualified for the post. Yang, a former machinery industry minister promoted to vice premier in charge of the machinery sector, is also an alternate member of the pJan 20, 2026By Yonhap
Military looks into new allegations of intelligence unit's role in drone incursionThe defense ministry is looking into fresh allegations that the Defense Intelligence Command (DIC) supported a graduate student who claimed to have flown a drone into North Korea, a government official said Monday. Online news outlet Newstapa earlier reported that the man, surnamed Oh, is suspected of operating two companies disguised as online outlets that actually carry out intelligence activities in support of the DIC and of receiving 10 million won ($6,783), citing security sources. A defense ministry official said the ministry is participating in a joint military-police team investigating the case and supports a swift and thorough probe, declining to provide further details due to the ongoing investigation. The team is expected to verify the report and determine whether the DIC was involved in the drone incursion. Earlier this month, North Korea claimed South Korea had violated its sovereignty through drone incursions in September last year and on Jan. 4, with Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un, demanding that Seoul admit to and apologize for the incidents. SouthJan 19, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea calls S. Korea 'No. 1 hostile country' at indoctrination centerA major indoctrination facility in North Korea displayed banners calling South Korea the "No. 1 hostile country" and inciting public animosity against Seoul, photos released by the North's media showed Monday. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published the photos while reporting on North Koreans touring the Central Class Education House in Pyongyang as part of celebrations marking the 80th founding anniversary of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, the country's largest youth organization. The class education house is a propaganda facility that fosters antagonism toward Seoul and Washington among the public. The KCNA photos showed rows of uniformed soldiers listening to a guide in a hall displaying banners, photos and painted messages against South Korea. The banners read, "South Korea is the No. 1 hostile country and the unchanging archenemy," and accused Seoul of creating a "confrontational frenzy" aimed at upending North Korea and "ending the regime." The messages included an article of South Korea's Constitution defining the country's territory as the entire Korean PeJan 19, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea-linked hacking group exploits Naver, Google ads to spread malware: reportA North Korea-linked hacking group has recently conducted a sophisticated malware distribution campaign by abusing online advertising systems operated by Naver and Google, a report showed Monday. According to the online threat assessment report released by Genians Security Center, Konni, the hacking group tied to Kimsuky and other Pyongyang-sponsored hacking groups, has launched an advanced persistent threat (APT) campaign by exploiting the online portals' ad systems. The group exploited a process referred to as click tracking used in online advertising, which routes users through intermediary web links before directing them to advertisers' websites. Through fake intermediary web links, the group was found to have redirected users to external servers hosting malicious files. According to the report, Konni initially focused on abusing Naver's advertising infrastructure but recently expanded its attacks through Google's ad system. Analysts at the center said they identified the phrase "Poseidon-Attack" within the malware code, suggesting the hacking group has systematically managed the campJan 19, 2026By Yonhap
