N. Korea's FM, Putin vow to strengthen bilateral ties ahead of Trump's visit to SKNorth Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Russian President Vladimir Putin have reaffirmed their will to strengthen bilateral ties, the North's state media reported Tuesday, ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's trip to South Korea this week. Choe paid a courtesy call on Putin in Moscow the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Choe departed Pyongyang on Sunday to visit Russia and Belarus, a trip that comes as Trump has voiced a wish to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to the South on Oct. 29-30 on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering. Choe and Putin "had good discussions over many businesses to strengthen and develop the North-Russia relations going forward," the KCNA said, without disclosing other details. Putin asked Choe to deliver his "warm greeting" to the North's leader as the top North Korean diplomat conveyed Kim's best wishes to Putin, the report added. Prior to the meeting with Putin, Choe held talks with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. In a press statement published by the KCNAOct 28, 2025By Yonhap
North Korea's top diplomat meets with Putin on a visit to RussiaMOSCOW — North Korea's top diplomat visited the Kremlin on Monday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which followed last month's meeting between the countries' leaders. Putin and Kim Jong-un met in Beijing in September after attending a major military parade in the heart of the Chinese capital that marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Putin asked North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui on Monday to convey his best wishes to Kim, noting that they had a very warm meeting, according to his televised remarks at the start of the talks. Before attending the Kremlin meeting with Putin, Choe held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who again hailed North Korean troops for fighting alongside the Russian military in the Kursk region after a surprise Ukrainian incursion. “These heroic deeds will, of course, further strengthen the bonds of friendship and historical unity in our shared struggle for justice,” Lavrov said. Choe noted a “considerable progress" in relations between the two countries and stressed Pyongyang's “unwavering" supportOct 28, 2025By AP
N. Korean FM tells Lavrov ties reached 'new height' with Kim-Putin meeting in Beijing: reportNorth Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui highlighted last month's meeting between the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing as an event that raised the bilateral ties to a "new height," Russian media reported Monday. Choe made the remark at the talks with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow, referring to the two leaders' bilateral talks that took place when they visited Beijing on Sept. 3 to attend a military parade marking China's Victory Day. Choe said the meeting was a "significant event that raised the entire previous strategic partnership between North Korea and Russia to a new height," according to Russia's RIA Novosti. She was quoted as restating the North's continued support for Russia's "policy of upholding territorial integrity." Choe also plans to meet Putin later in the day, according to the media. Lavrov said that relations between Russia and North Korea have "received a powerful impetus" over the past 3 1/2 months, through the agreements reached at the leaders' level. North Korea has deepened its relationship with Russia, sOct 27, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea stresses self-reliance as key to development ahead of Trump's visit to S. KoreaNorth Korea on Monday stressed self-reliance as the only path to national development and prosperity amid attention over whether leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump may meet on the occasion of this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering. The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, underscored in a front-page article that self-reliance is a "powerful weapon" for the nation's growth and prosperity no matter how "conditions and the environment change." "It is equivalent to self-destruction to try to move forward or progress with the help of others," the paper said. Trump said he wants to meet with Kim during his stop in South Korea on Oct. 29-30 on the occasion of the APEC gathering. Trump's trip has spawned speculation about a repeat of their meeting at the border village of Panmunjom in 2019, but North Korea remains silent about Trump's proposal. The North's leader earlier said he has "good memories" of Trump and remains open to talks with the United States should Washington drop its demand for the North's denuclearization.Oct 27, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's top diplomat departs Pyongyang for trip to Russia, Belarus: KCNANorth Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has departed Pyongyang for a trip to Russia and Belarus, state media reported Monday. On board a private jet, Choe left Pyongyang International Airport the previous day to visit the two countries at the invitation of their foreign ministers, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The KCNA first announced the two-nation trip Sunday without providing a detailed itinerary, while Russia's foreign ministry later disclosed that Choe's visit to the country will run from Sunday through Tuesday. Her trip to Russia will mark her first in about a year. She last visited Moscow in November 2024 and paid a courtesy call on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Choe's overseas trip coincides with South Korea's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in the southeastern city of Gyeongju. Her absence from North Korea during the APEC period suggests that no talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump are likely to take place on the occasion of the global gathering. As Trump departeOct 27, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea slams Japan's defense buildupNorth Korea on Monday criticized Japan's recent defense buildup, warning it could make Tokyo the target of strong retaliation from neighboring countries. The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's most widely read newspaper, issued the warning in its Monday edition, citing Japan's recent launch of the sixth Taigei-class attack submarine, mass production of an improved Type 12 surface-to-ship missile and other defense buildup plans. The newspaper said such weapon systems are preemptive-strike means with ranges that extend far beyond Japan to other nations, describing their development as a "dangerous" act by a former "war criminal country." "It will result in nothing but subjecting the archipelago to the common target of strong retaliation by neighboring countries," the newspaper warned. The daily also accused Japan of complicating and accelerating the regional security situation under the pretext of "threats" from neighbors, in an explicit display of aggressiveness.Oct 27, 2025By Yonhap
Possibility of Kim-Trump meeting looms on sidelines of APEC summitU.S. President Donald Trump is ramping up the possibility of a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering later this week, employing rhetoric that may entice the reclusive leader for talks. Although officials from all involved parties — the U.S., North Korea and South Korea — have remained cautious about reporting any progress, they are also not ruling out the chance for a meeting. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One before departing for his Asia tour, Trump said he would be “open to it” if the opportunity for a meeting arose, showing his willingness to revive the stalled face-to-face meetings. "Well, I would if he would contact. The last time I met him, I put it out over the internet that I'm coming to South Korea and if he'd like to meet, I'm open to it," he said. "There's not a lot of ways other than the internet ... But he knows I'm coming." Trump made history in 2019 as the first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korea. He met Kim at the border village of Panmunjeom, jOct 26, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin
Putin is out of optionsSTOCKHOLM – The outcome of Russia’s war on Ukraine matters not just for those countries’ future, but for all of Europe. The root cause of the conflict is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s obsession with restoring his country’s status as an imperial power. Old Russia was a highly centralized empire, or what Lenin called a “prison of nations.” Indeed, it is Lenin whom Putin blames for breaking the old imperial order and allowing Ukraine to find its own path. But Putin has not been very successful in pursuing his vision. When he sent more than 100,000 troops into Ukraine in February 2022, most observers – including virtually all the West’s experts on the Russian army – anticipated a quick victory. But three and a half years later, most of that initial invasion force is gone. Putin may have three times as many newly recruited soldiers stationed along the front lines, but he controls less than 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory. No one expected the Russian army to perform so abysmally, and the question now is whether there is any way Putin can still win the war. His fiOct 26, 2025By Carl Bildt
N. Korean FM Choe to visit Russia, Belarus: state mediaNorth Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui will visit Russia and Belarus at the invitation of the two countries' governments, the North's state media reported Sunday. The state media did not immediately disclose other details, including the exact dates for Choe's trip. Russia's foreign ministry announced later that Choe will make a three-day working visit to Moscow from Sunday through Tuesday, according to Sputnik. Her trip to Russia will mark her first in about a year. She last visited Moscow in November last year and paid a courtesy call on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Her trip to Russia comes amid growing speculation over whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will respond to U.S. President Donald Trump's calls for another meeting between the two when Trump visits South Korea later this week for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The announcement of Choe's visit to Russia, however, suggests that such a potential meeting may have become more unlikely. Ahead of his Asia swing that includes trips to Malaysia and Japan, Trump reiterated his willingness to meet Kim "iOct 26, 2025By Yonhap
Top Chinese envoy in N. Korea hosts banquet marking China's participation in Korean WarChinese Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yaijun has hosted a banquet commemorating China's entry into the 1950-53 Korean War, highlighting his country's friendly ties with Pyongyang, the North's state media reported Sunday. The two neighbors observe the anniversary on Oct. 25, the day when Chinese troops reported their first military victory in the war that broke out on June 25, 1950. The banquet was held Saturday at the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang, attended by North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang-chol and Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-ho, as well as a visiting Chinese delegation, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The participants "raised their glasses to the continued strengthening and development of the traditional friendship and cooperation between North Korea and China, and to the prosperity of both nations," the KCNA said. Wang also joined North Korean officials from the North's ruling Workers' Party in a wreath-laying ceremony at the North Korea-China Friendship Tower in Pyongyang to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers. The KCNA reported Saturday that North Korean leOct 26, 2025By Yonhap
