Eximbank hosts forum to advance inter-Korean climate cooperationThe Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) said Sunday that it co-hosted the 2025 Korean Peninsula Climate and Environment Cooperation Forum with the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on Friday. The forum focused on developing concrete policies for mutually beneficial inter-Korean exchange. Participants explored pathways to revive cross-border cooperation through joint responses to climate change. The event builds on the Korean government's five-year governance plan, unveiled in August, which outlines a vision for a peaceful, coexisting and prosperous peninsula. The forum served as an early step toward realizing that vision. During the first session, professor Koo Kab-woo of the University of North Korean Studies moderated a lively discussion on peaceful co-existence on the Korean Peninsula. Speakers included Sogang University professor Chung Young-chul, Institute for National Security Strategy researcher Kim Il-gi, UNESCAP associate economic affairs officer Kim Sung-eun and Um Ju-hyun, secretary-general of MedNov 23, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo
Polish envoy voices 'great concerns' over N. Korea's involvement in war against UkraineThe Polish ambassador to South Korea on Friday voiced "great concerns" over North Korea's involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of maintaining "direct" communication with Pyongyang. Ambassador Bartosz Wisniewski made the remarks during a meeting with Unification Minister Chung Dong-young at the minister's office, as North Korea and Russia have been strengthening their alignment in military and other fields. Since last year, North Korea has sent around 15,000 troops and weapons to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. Poland, which borders Ukraine, has emerged as a key hub for military and humanitarian aid to Kyiv and faces growing security threats from the conflict. "Security between the Korean Peninsula, Central Europe and the so-called eastern flank has become intertwined. We are crystal clear that the DPRK's involvement in the brutal war and aggression against Ukraine is a source of great concerns to us," the Polish ambassador said. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The ambassador emphasized thNov 21, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim attends inauguration of hydropower plant in Kangwon ProvinceNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ceremony to inaugurate a hydropower plant in Kangwon Province, the sixth to be built in the region amid the country's chronic electricity shortage, according to state media Friday. The ceremony to launch the Hoeyang Army-People Power Station in the southeastern province was held the previous day, with Kim in attendance, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. In his speech at the event, Kim lauded the construction as opening up "the clear prospect of solving the electricity problem most essential for developing the economy of their region and improving their material and cultural life." "What is really remarkable is that Kangwon Province, which has a smaller population and weaker industrial foundations than other provinces, has built by its own efforts these power stations," Kim noted. The KCNA said the Hoeyang power plant is the last of six hydropower stations to be completed in Kangwon, including those in Ichon, Munchon, Sepho, Phyonggang and Kosong. Appearing in a black leather jacket, Kim joined the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the powNov 21, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korean soldiers briefly crossed MDL a day earlier: sourcesNorth Korean soldiers briefly crossed the heavily fortified inter-Korean border the previous day, military officials said Thursday, as Pyongyang remains unresponsive to Seoul's calls for dialogue to prevent such accidental crossings. The soldiers, believed to have been working near the border at the time, crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) into the South on Wednesday, according to the officials. They said South Korea's military issued warning messages and fired warning shots, prompting the North Korean troops to retreat to their side of the border. "We acted in accordance with due procedure, as there was a violation of the armistice agreement at the Demilitarized Zone by North Korean troops," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It remains unclear how many soldiers crossed or whether they were armed. The brief incursion occurred as North Korea has yet to respond to Seoul's proposal to hold military talks aimed at preventing potential clashes near the inter-Korean border. The defense ministry said the recent MDL violations appear to be linked to the significant loss of boundary indicatoNov 20, 2025By Yonhap
Chinese envoy hopes for increased cooperation with universities in N. KoreaChina's ambassador to North Korea has visited the host country's top university and expressed hope the universities of the two countries will further strengthen cooperation and exchanges, the embassy said Thursday. Chinese Ambassador Wang Yajun made the remarks during his visit to Kim Il Sung University, named after North Korea's late founder, the previous day, where he toured the school's history hall, digital library, swimming pool and other facilities, according to the embassy's website. Wang said that cooperation in education represents a key component of China-North Korea relations, with Kim Il Sung University taking the lead in the cooperation and exchanges between universities of the countries. "For universities of the two countries to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, and to promote bilateral relations, I hope that more friendly delegations will be fostered," the embassy quoted Wang as saying. The ambassador also met separately with dozens of North Korean students majoring in Chinese literature and with Chinese students studying at the university. Pak Hak-chol, first deputy prNov 20, 2025By Yonhap
Lee says won't neglect N. Korea's advance of nuclear programCAIRO — President Lee Jae Myung has said he will not neglect efforts by North Korea to advance its nuclear program, vowing to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula with a "pragmatic and phased" approach. In a contribution to Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram that was published Thursday, Lee asked Egypt to support South Korea's plans to denuclearize North Korea and peace initiatives on the Korean Peninsula. Highlighting Cairo's mediating role in the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip, Lee also expressed hope for expanded cooperation between South Korea and Egypt to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East. Since taking office in June, Lee has extended an olive branch to resume dialogue with Pyongyang and proposed a three-step road map to halt, reduce and dismantle North Korea's program, though the North remains unresponsive. "The suspended inter-Korean dialogue and North Korea's evolving nuclear capabilities cannot be left as they are, and I firmly believe we should open a new era of peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula," Lee wroteNov 20, 2025By Yonhap
UN committee adopts resolution on N. Korean human rights backed by S. Korea, USA U.N. committee has adopted by consensus a resolution condemning widespread human rights violations in North Korea, the foreign ministry said Thursday, with the backing of more than 60 member states, including South Korea and the United States. The U.N. General Assembly Third Committee handling human rights issues adopted the resolution, co-sponsored by 61 countries, during a meeting in New York on Wednesday (local time), the ministry said in a release. The resolution will be reviewed at the upcoming General Assembly plenary next month for final adoption. South Korea, led by the liberal government of President Lee Jae Myung, was among the first 41 member states supporting the draft resolution despite its push for rapprochement with Pyongyang, with the position that it will approach the North's human rights issues as a matter of universal principle. The U.S., which was not initially among the co-sponsoring nations, later joined the group that includes Australia, Britain, France and Japan, among others. The resolution, introduced for 21 straight years, condemns "in the strongest terms" theNov 20, 2025By Yonhap
Untangling South Korea's quest for nuclear-powered submarinesPresident Lee Jae Myung’s opening remarks at his Oct. 29 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in the historic southeastern city of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, came as a surprise to many foreign policy watchers. Lee — long accused by political opponents of being overly sympathetic to China since his “xie xie” (thank you) remark stirred controversy during his presidential campaign — explicitly cited China, alongside North Korea, as a key reason his administration is pursuing multiple nuclear-powered submarines. Diesel-powered submarines are too slow for South Korea’s Navy to effectively track and outmaneuver North Korean and Chinese submarines, he said. He requested U.S. support in supplying the uranium fuel necessary for naval reactors, adding that South Korea hopes to build several conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarines to defend its maritime borders in the East and West Seas. “Should this happen,” he said, “the U.S. would be able to ease part of the defense burden it currently carries.” As expected, his nuanced pitch drew a swift rebukeNov 20, 2025By Kang Hyun-kyung
N. Korea's Kim hails inauguration of modern regional hospitalNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ceremony to launch the first modern hospital built under the country's regional medical center construction plan, calling its completion in nine months a "real transformation." Kim attended the inauguration ceremony for Kangdong County Hospital on Wednesday, the first hospital completed under his ongoing development push to build factories and medical centers across the country to promote regional development, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "This is a moment ... when we are seeing the first entity of modern regional hospitals," Kim said in his speech during the ceremony. "Our struggle, aimed at bringing a beautiful and vibrant life to the regional people, has now entered a comprehensive and full-scale stage." Proclaiming the inauguration in the same year as the groundbreaking is the "standard speed" of achieving the country's ideals, Kim also said, calling it the country's "mettle" and the speed of transformation and advance, The hospital has completely reversed the existing conception of a regional hospital, Kim said, aNov 20, 2025By Yonhap
Pro-Pyongyang paper says N. Korea aims to build socialist powerhouse by 2035North Korea has a development plan aimed at building a socialist powerhouse by 2035, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper reported Wednesday. The Japan-based Choson Sinbo revealed the plan in a travelogue by its delegation that recently visited North Korea for the 80th founding anniversary of the North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper. "The first stage of the 15-year vision to accomplish a socialist powerhouse by around 2035, where prosperity reigns and the entire people enjoy happiness, will be finalized and a new reform period will begin," the outlet, considered to represent North Korea's official stance, said, referring to a ruling party congress set for early next year. At its eighth party congress in 2021, North Korea adopted a five-year economic development plan. At the upcoming ninth congress, the country is expected to present another five-year plan outlining its major policy stance. The latest Choson Sinbo report indicates that North Korea is following a 15-year development road map, implemented in three five-year phases. Shortly after the 2021 party congress, North Korean media quoted leader KimNov 19, 2025By Yonhap
