'Bull of peace' laid to rest on border hill after drifting from N. Korea in 1996 floodA bull that drifted south from North Korea during a major flood in 1996 and became a symbol of inter-Korean peace has been laid to rest on a border hill overlooking its homeland nearly 20 years after its death. The animal's remains were moved to an exhibition hall in Aegibong Peace Ecopark on Aegibong hill, just 1.4 kilometers from North Korea's border county of Kaepung, on Saturday, according to the Gimpo Cultural Foundation. "(We) had long pushed for the relocation of the remains to Aegibong so that the bull of peace could see its homeland," Kang Kyung-ku, a former mayor of the western border city of Gimpo, said. "We were able to do so after space finally opened up." South Korean authorities first discovered the animal on the uninhabited island of Yudo in Gimpo in July 1996 after it drifted from the North and survived a deadly flood that swept through central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Due to the island's location inside neutral waters between the Koreas, South Korean Marines were deployed to rescue it in January the next year after authorization by the U.N. Command overseeing theDec 3, 2025By Yonhap
Gov't 2026 budget for inter-Korean cooperative projects restored to over $681.4 mil.The unification ministry's 2026 budget to fund cooperative projects with North Korea has topped 1 trillion won ($681.4 million), marking the first time in three years that it has surpassed the level, officials said Wednesday. The previous day, the National Assembly passed next year's budget of 727.9 trillion won, including 1.24 trillion won allocated to the unification ministry, up 20.9 percent from this year's budget. Of the ministry budget, 1.002 trillion won is earmarked for the inter-Korean cooperation fund, marking the first time in three years that the fund has recovered the 1 trillion-won level as the government seeks to revive long-dormant inter-Korean exchanges and economic projects. Next year's budget also includes a project to build a "center for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula" in Seoul, aimed at promoting public awareness of inter-Korean exchanges and peace with North Korea. A total of 12.3 billion won has been allotted for the project next year, with a combined 39.6 billion won to be invested through 2030. Under next year's ministry budget, 480 million won willDec 3, 2025By Yonhap
Lee proposes restoring communication channels with N. KoreaPresident Lee Jae Myung proposed restoring communication channels with North Korea on Tuesday, saying it will serve as a starting point for "peaceful coexistence" between Seoul and Pyongyang. Lee made the remarks during an event to mark the launch of the 22th Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, stressing that unification is a path that must be taken regardless of whether it takes decades or even a millennia. "The historic task given to us is to end hostility and confrontation between the two Koreas, and to build a new inter-Korean relationship based on peaceful existence," Lee said, suggesting the Koreas begin by restoring their dialogue channels that have been suspended for seven years. He stressed the need for "shared growth" that benefits both Seoul and Pyongyang, and called for gradual efforts to start cooperation in areas of global interest, such as climate and environmental issues, disaster, safety, and public health. "We will continue our efforts to end the state of war on the Korean Peninsula, pursue a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and establish lasting peace," Lee said, vowinDec 2, 2025By Yonhap
Fake tax invoices infected with NK-linked malware target S. Koreans: cybersecurity firmFake tax invoice files embedded with malicious code linked to North Korean hackers have been found circulating online in a security threat targeting South Koreans, according to a Seoul-based cybersecurity company Tuesday. ESTSecurity said it has identified KimJongRAT-infected files circulating online, noting the remote access Trojan is believed to be linked to the Pyongyang-sponsored hacking group Kimsuky. The file, disguised as a PDF document, actually contained a shortcut that directed users to a link leading to the download of malicious files. The security company said the malicious code was precisely tailored to target South Korean users. "While Microsoft is enhancing security, KimJongRAT remains an extremely effective attack method in environments with weak security features," ESTSecurity said, noting that users should keep their software updated. ESTSecurity also advised users to check file extensions before executing files.Dec 2, 2025By Yonhap
Ministry stresses humanitarian consideration over home remittance by NK defectorsHumanitarian aspects should be considered in handling legal issues involving remittances sent by North Korean defectors to their families back home, the unification ministry said Tuesday. "Both legal and humanitarian aspects should be considered in a balanced way," a unification ministry official told reporters after a Seoul court was reported to have recently delivered a not-guilty sentence to a person accused of brokering remittances sent by North Korean defectors to their families back in the North. The defendant was among many North Korean defectors charged with violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act for involvement in remittances to North Korea under former President Yoon Suk Yeol's government. Before the conservative government, remittances by North Korean defectors to their families back in the North had largely been tolerated as long as no security-related issues were suspected. "Money sent by defectors to their families in North Korea often amounts to nothing more than living expenses. Under the current situation, where there is no law regulating this, some (defectors)Dec 2, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim sends congratulatory message to Lao president on ruling party founding anniversaryNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a congratulatory message Tuesday to the Lao president on the 50th founding anniversary of the South Asian country's ruling party, state media reported. "I extend warm congratulations and greetings to you and, through you, to the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Lao people," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Kim as saying in the message to President Thongloun Sisoulith. Kim said the Lao people have made "remarkable successes" over the past 50 years in strengthening the people's democratic system and achieving the prosperity and development of the state under the party's leadership. The North Korean leader also expressed "belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties and the two countries will continue to develop on good terms in conformity with the spirit of the agreement reached at our meeting in Pyongyang," the KCNA noted. Kim held a summit with Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith in Pyongyang in October on the occasion of the 80th founding anniversaDec 2, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korean hacking group Lazarus behind 31 attacks over past year: reportNorth Korean hacking group Lazarus is suspected to have been behind at least 31 cyberattacks over the past year, a report showed Sunday, amid mounting speculation that the group was responsible for a recent massive cryptocurrency breach at South Korean crypto exchange Upbit. AhnLab, a local software security firm, made the assessment in its latest report, saying Lazarus topped the list of advanced persistent threat (APT) groups with 31 incidents from October 2024 to September this year. Another North Korea-backed group, Kimsuky, followed with 27 cases, the same data showed. By country, North Korea accounted for 86 hacking incidents, followed by China at 27, Russia and India at 18 each, and Pakistan with 17. AhnLab noted that the actual number of attacks could be higher than disclosed due to the sophisticated methods used by APT groups. The report comes amid suspicions that Lazarus was behind a breach that drained around 45 billion won ($30.6 million) worth of cryptocurrency from Upbit last week. Authorities said the techniques used in the latest heist were similar to those employed in a 20Nov 30, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim vows to bestow new strategic assets, duty on air force founding anniversaryNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ceremony marking the 80th founding anniversary of the country's air force, saying it will be given new strategic military assets and a "new important duty," state media reported Sunday. Kim made the remarks during the celebration event held Friday at Kalma Airport of the 59th Kil Yong Jo Hero Flying Group of the Second Air Wing, to mark the founding anniversary of the Air Force of the Korean People's Army, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Delivering a speech at the anniversary celebration, Kim said, "The Air Force will be given new strategic military assets and entrusted with a new important duty," although he did not specify what those strategic assets would be. "The expectations ... for the Air Force which will play a role in the exercise of the nuclear war deterrent is very great, and that the Air Force should resolutely repulse and control all sorts of espionage acts and possible military provocations of the enemies to encroach upon the sovereign airspace," he noted. As North Korea continues to push the modernization of its coNov 30, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korean hacking group Lazarus suspected behind recent crypto hacking: sourcesNorth Korean hacking group Lazarus is suspected to be behind a recent breach of around 45 billion won ($30.6 million) worth of cryptocurrency from South Korea's largest crypto exchange Upbit, sources said Friday. According to government and business sources, authorities plan to carry out an on-site investigation at the crypto exchange with a belief that Lazarus was behind the hacking. Dunamu, which operates Upbit, said Thursday it confirmed the transfer of 44.5 billion won worth of Solana-affiliated assets to an unauthorized wallet address and plans to cover the full amount with assets the company owns.Nov 28, 2025By Yonhap
Pyongyang says S. Korea-US joint military drills aimed at deterring N. KoreaNorth Korea on Friday blasted the recent joint U.S.-South Korea anti-submarine drills called Silent Shark, as well as other joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington, saying such drills were aimed at deterring Pyongyang. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) issued the criticism in a commentary, taking aim at recent joint drills between Washington and Seoul, including an anti-special operation drill near South Korea's Pyeongtaek and the monthlong Silent Shark exercise in Guam. The KCNA also cited the recent U.S. forward deployment of F-16 fighter jets to Osan Air Base in South Korea to bolster joint operational capability, as well as the recent installation of a U.S. forward arming and refueling point on Japan's Yonaguni Island and the upcoming Proliferation Security Initiative drill in Japanese waters. "It is an irrefutable fact that it is aimed at deterring the DPRK and regional countries by force and securing air superiority in contingency," the KCNA said. DPRK stands for the official name of North Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea calNov 28, 2025By Yonhap
