Top security adviser to discuss with US about Korea's push to build nuclear-powered subsNational Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Tuesday that he plans to discuss with U.S. counterparts about South Korea's push to build nuclear-powered submarines and other follow-up measures to the summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in late October. Wi made the remarks as he was set to depart for Washington, adding that the agenda on his visit to the United States also included Seoul's drive to secure uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing capabilities. The trip comes about a month after the allies released a joint fact sheet outlining trade and security agreements reached during the second Lee-Trump summit in South Korea's southeastern city of Gyeongju on Oct. 29, ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. With regard to the U.S. approval for South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines, Wi said he "plans to discuss how the U.S. side is being prepared." "There are issues related to (U.S.) Congress to push for nuclear-powered submarines, so I will look at those issues as well," Wi told reporters. "I think it is time to giveDec 16, 2025By Yonhap
USFK commander highlights Korean Peninsula's central role in Indo-Pacific securityThe commander of American forces in South Korea has underscored the Korean Peninsula's central role in the U.S. security strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, according to a website of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) on Tuesday, noting the peninsula's location between the Asian continent and the Pacific region. Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of USFK, made the remarks at a lecture at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., last Wednesday at a time when Seoul and Washington are pushing to "modernize" their alliance in a way that would increase South Korea's role in its own defense and its contributions to addressing regional threats. "Korea is not a side chapter in American strategy," Brunson said, according to the website. "If you put the peninsula in the first chapter, the geometry of the region and the value of our alliances become impossible to ignore." Describing the Korean Peninsula as a "hinge between the Asian continent and Pacific maritime approaches," Brunson said the peninsula "should be viewed as a central pillar of U.S. and allied strategy." On the Korean Peninsula, BDec 16, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim attends ribbon-cutting event for industrial plant with his daughter, wifeNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of an industrial complex on the outskirts of Pyongyang, accompanied by his daughter and wife, the North's state media said Tuesday. Kim appeared at the event held the previous day in Kangdong County, where a factory and a multifunctional service facility have been built under his signature regional development policy, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Photos released by the KCNA showed that Kim's daughter, Ju-ae, and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, also attended the ceremony, marking the first public appearance of the three as a family since their attendance at the dedication event for the Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone in June. Also notable was the appearance of Ju-ae, widely seen as Kim's potential successor, at a public event related to the economy and people's livelihoods, compared with her previous appearances that have largely been at military-related events. Kim cut the ribbon and toured the food processing plant and the community service complex, expressing satisfaction with the completionDec 16, 2025By Yonhap
Officials from UN maritime body visited N. Korea last month for technical audit, report revealsAn international maritime agency under the United Nations sent its officials to North Korea last month for a technical audit to assess the implementation of obligations as a member state, the U.N. website showed Tuesday. Officials from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) visited North Korea in mid-November for the audit under the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS), according to the website. North Korea has been an IMO member state since 1986. The IMO officials met with their counterparts from the North's national maritime agency and visited several sites as part of the audit. The visit draws attention because the North still restricts the entry of international organizations even after it eased border controls that had been placed during the COVID-19 pandemic. North Korea appears to have allowed the IMO officials' visit as an exception as the audit is a mandatory assessment that IMO member states have to undergo every seven years. From Pyongyang's perspective, maintaining cooperation with the IMO may have been considered necessary for the regime to ensure smooth maritime opeDec 16, 2025By Yonhap
Foreign, unification ministries at odds over consultative body on NK issuesThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Unification appear to be at odds over the planned launch of a new South Korea-U.S. consultative body on North Korea's nuclear issues. The unification ministry said Monday that it will not participate in the group, even as the foreign ministry moves ahead with plans to launch regular consultations on Tuesday. The differing positions underscore a subtle power struggle between the two ministries. Officials at the unification ministry, which is in charge of inter-Korean affairs, appear concerned that the consultative body could be heavily influenced by U.S. decision-making. The talks are intended to fine-tune the pace and direction of Seoul and Washington’s North Korea policy as the allies seek to revive dialogue with Pyongyang. According to the foreign ministry, Jeong Yeon-doo, vice minister for intelligence and North Korean nuclear issues at the ministry, and acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kevin Kim will lead the regular consultative meeting. “As the consultations will focus on bilateral diplomatic agreements, our ministry has decidDec 15, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
Recent legal revisions bring end to era of leaflet campaigns against N. Korea: unification ministryThe recent passage of legal revisions regulating the scattering of propaganda leaflets into North Korea has ended the era of leaflet campaigns targeting Pyongyang, the unification ministry said Monday, expressing hope for the restoration of inter-Korean ties. "The latest revisions to the Act on the Performance of Duties by Police Officers and the Aviation Safety Act have made it difficult to scatter anti-North Korea leaflets, effectively drawing the era of leaflet campaigns toward the North to a close," unification ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho said at a press briefing. Following the passage of a revised Aviation Safety Act in early December that more strictly regulates the airborne launch of leaflets near the border with North Korea, the National Assembly passed another revised law the previous day granting police broader legal authority to block leaflet campaigns. The spokesperson said leaflet campaigns toward the North have fueled distrust between the Koreas and undermined the peace and safety of border residents, expressing hope that the revisions could serve as a starting pointDec 15, 2025By Yonhap
Unification ministry reviewing participation in regular Seoul-Washington talks on N. Korea policyUnification Minister Chung Dong-young said Monday that the ministry is reviewing whether to participate in upcoming regular consultative talks between Seoul and Washington on coordinating their North Korea policy. The minister's remarks came as Seoul and Washington were reportedly arranging to launch regular consultations this week to fine-tune the pace and direction of their North Korea policy, as both seek to reopen dialogue with Pyongyang in an effort to address its nuclear issues. Jeong Yeon-doo, vice minister for intelligence and North Korea's nuclear issues at the foreign ministry, and acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kevin Kim were reportedly set to inaugurate their regular consultative meeting as early as Tuesday. "We are continuing to discuss it," Chung told reporters on his way to his office in central Seoul earlier in the morning when asked whether the ministry would take part in the regular consultations. "We will make a decision after looking into the details." The minister said that Seoul and Washington appear to have decided to change the meeting's name from the one iDec 15, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korean leader's sister spotted with what appears to be Chinese foldable smartphoneThe influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has recently been spotted holding what appeared to be a Chinese foldable smartphone, as members of the country's ruling class are frequently seen with the latest smartphone technologies. A photo published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed Kim Yo-jong holding a smartphone that appeared to be a foldable model from Chinese firm Honor's Magic series as she accompanied Kim Jong-un on an inspection of a newly built regional hospital on Saturday. A pro-North Korean news outlet based in Japan has said North Korea produces smartphones under an indigenous brand. The photo provides only a rough image of the phone held by Kim Yo-jong, without revealing any information about the device's manufacturer, though it appears to be a Chinese model. If the device was imported from China, it could constitute a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397, which prohibits the supply of electrical equipment to North Korea amid concerns over foreign-currency earnings and technology acquisition. In 2023, Kim Jong-un and Hyon SoDec 15, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea urges completion of ruling-party projects ahead of key party congressNorth Korea on Monday urged all-out public efforts to complete major projects of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea ahead of the first party congress in five years in 2026, where a new development plan is expected to be unveiled. The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's most widely read newspaper, issued the call in an editorial, describing the period until the ninth party congress as "a very important and responsible juncture" in implementing party decisions and transitioning to a new stage of reform. The North Korean party is expected to convene its ninth party congress in January or February, at which a new five-year development plan is expected to be formulated. It will mark the first party congress since the eighth in 2021, where a five-year economic development plan was adopted. At the upcoming party congress, leader Kim Jong-un is likely to highlight the achievements of his signature regional development drive, known as "the Regional Development 20x10 Policy," touting them as major party accomplishments. "Not even a trivial case of incompletion should be allowed" in the implementation of pDec 15, 2025By Yonhap
Nat'l Assembly passes bill allowing police to intervene in anti-NK leaflet launchesThe National Assembly passed Sunday a bill led by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) that would give police legal authority to block attempts to send anti-Pyongyang leaflets near border areas. The amendment to the Act on the Performance of Duties by Police Officers allows police to intervene in the launch of leaflets near the inter-Korean border, aiming to prevent activities that could heighten tensions between the two Koreas. The bill was passed at a plenary session, shortly after the main opposition People Power Party (PPP)'s filibuster ended through a vote 24 hours after it began. The DPK has argued that the legislation is necessary to protect the safety of border residents and to help reduce military tensions, while the PPP opposed the bill, saying it infringes on freedom of expression. The move follows the recent passage of a revision to the Aviation Safety Act, which bans the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles in restricted areas, effectively blocking the use of drones to distribute leaflets toward the North. The legislation comes as the government seeks to ease militaryDec 14, 2025By Yonhap
