N. Korea's Kim holds talks with Lao president in Pyongyang: KCNANorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has held talks with Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith and agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation, the North's state media reported Wednesday. The meeting took place in Pyongyang, Tuesday, during the Lao president's visit for celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the North's ruling Workers' Party of Korea, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). During the talks, the two leaders discussed ways to enhance mutual cooperation, with the KCNA quoting the meeting as expressing "expectation and conviction that the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the two sides will grow stronger." Kim said Thongloun's visit represented his government's "full support and encouragement" for North Korea, while the Lao leader pledged continued efforts to further develop the two nations' friendship and cooperation, according to the report. Following the meeting, Kim hosted a reception to welcome Thongloun's visit, during which both leaders delivered speeches, the KCNA said, without providing further details. Thongloun lasOct 8, 2025By Yonhap
China's Li to visit N. Korea to attend key ruling party anniversaryChinese Premier Li Qiang will make a three-day "goodwill" visit to North Korea this week to attend the North's commemorative events to mark the 80th founding anniversary of its ruling party, the North's state media said Tuesday. Li will lead a Chinese delegation to take part in the celebrations of the founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) at the invitation of North Korea, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Li's delegation will pay "an official goodwill visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the invitation of the Central Committee of the WPK and the DPRK government," the KCNA said in a report. North Korea celebrates its ruling party's foundation anniversary on Oct. 10 every year, which falls on Friday this year. China's foreign ministry also said Li will pay an official visit to North Korea from Thursday to Saturday, leading a party and government delegation. In 2015, China sent a delegation led by Liu Yunshan, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and considered the country's fifth-highest ranking ofOct 7, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim tells Putin that alliance will 'invariably' carry forward in futureNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that their alliance "will be invariably carried forward in the future," as Pyongyang and Moscow have deepened military cooperation over Russia's war against Ukraine. Kim made the remarks in a letter sent to Putin that congratulated the Russian leader on his birthday, according to a report by the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "I do not doubt that the relations of alliance between the two countries, which have greeted the great heyday, will be invariably carried forward in the future, too, thanks to the warm friendly relations and close comradely ties between us, and will make a great contribution to powerfully propelling the comprehensive development of bilateral relations and establishing a just and multi-polarized world order," Kim told Putin, according to the KCNA report. Since October last year, North Korea had sent about 15,000 troops and weapons to aid Russia's war efforts, according to South Korea's spy agency. In the letter, Kim also said he will fully support the "just struggle" of Russia in deOct 7, 2025By Yonhap
Vietnam's top leader to visit N. Korea to mark key party anniversary: KCNAVietnam's top leader, To Lam, will visit North Korea to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the North's ruling Workers' Party of Korea, state media reported Monday. The Vietnamese leader will pay a state visit to the North at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the occasion of the party anniversary set for Friday, the Korean Central News Agency reported in a short dispatch. Vietnam's foreign ministry also announced that Lam will visit North Korea for three days starting Thursday. It would mark the first trip to North Korea by a Vietnamese leader in 18 years. Vietnam and North Korea have maintained close diplomatic relations since establishing ties in 1950. North Korea is expected to hold a large-scale military parade to celebrate the party anniversary. The South Korean military earlier said the North may stage a nighttime parade involving tens of thousands of personnel.Oct 6, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim calls for bolstering naval power to 'thoroughly' punish enemyNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited the nation's first 5,000-ton destroyer, calling for bolstering the naval combat force to "thoroughly deter and counter the enemy's provocations," state media reported Monday. Kim visited the destroyer Choe Hyon, Sunday, accompanied by key party and government officials, as part of his scheduled trip to a military hardware exhibition, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). In April, North Korea unveiled its new 5,000-ton multipurpose destroyer, the Choe Hyon, as part of its efforts to enhance its naval power. During the visit, Kim said "the tremendous ability of our navy should be exercised in the vast ocean to thoroughly deter or counter and punish the enemy's provocations" to defend the nation's sovereignty and its security interests, according to the KCNA. "He noted that our (Workers') Party would continue its struggle without even a moment's stagnation for the overall and accelerated expansion and growth of the naval combat force defending the core of the national rights," it added. North Korea earlier said the Choe Hyon was equiOct 6, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea holds annual defense exhibition for 3rd consecutive yearNorth Korea has launched its annual defense exhibition for the third consecutive year, with leader Kim Jong-un describing it as "the results" of the country's projects to modernize and advance its military capabilities, state media reported Sunday. The Defence Development-2025 kicked off in Pyongyang the previous day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. In a speech at the event, Kim touted it as the "recent results of the important projects ... to put the structure of the DPRK's military capabilities, with its nuclear deterrent as the backbone, on an increasingly modern, advanced footing." DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim accused South Korea and the United States of staging various drills based on a nuclear operation scenario and of expanding defense assets in South Korea and the broader region. "We are closely watching the U.S.' deployment of its means of strategic strike and reconnaissance ... and the mobilization for hostile acts in connection with a new possible threat to our state's security," the North Korean leaderOct 5, 2025By Yonhap
Laotian leader to visit N. Korea to mark key party anniversary: KCNALaos' President Thongloun Sisoulith will visit North Korea to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the North's ruling Workers' Party of Korea, state media reported Thursday. The Laotian leader will visit the North at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the occasion of the party anniversary set for Oct. 10, the Korean Central News Agency reported in a short dispatch. He has become the first foreign guest confirmed by the North who will attend the upcoming party anniversary. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's deputy chairman of the security council, is widely expected to travel to North Korea to attend the celebrations. Reuters earlier reported that Vietnam's Community Party chief To Lam is also expected to visit the North in October in what would be the first trip to North Korea by a Vietnamese leader in nearly 20 years. But Vietnam and North Korea have yet to confirm his potential visit. North Korea is expected to hold a large-scale military parade to celebrate the party anniversary. The South Korean military said Thursday the North may stage a nighttime parade involving tens ofOct 2, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea seen as preparing for military parade marking party anniversary: JCSNorth Korea appears to be preparing for a large-scale military parade, possibly at nighttime, to mark next week's key party anniversary, South Korea's military confirmed Thursday. The North is set to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea on Oct. 10. North Korea has staged a military parade on party anniversaries that end in zero or five. "There are signs of North Korea preparing for a military parade involving tens of thousands of people, which our military is closely monitoring," Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), said in a regular press briefing. Lee said the military detected movements of vehicles and some military equipment, but did not further elaborate. The JCS official said the North may stage a nighttime military parade, but it remains to be seen whether the event will take place near midnight or before then. Analysts have raised views that Pyongyang may showcase the next-generation Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile under development during the military parade or test-launch it around the anniversary.Oct 2, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korean defense chief voices 'full support' for Russia in meeting with Moscow counterpartNorth Korea's Defense Minister No Kwang-chol has expressed "full support" for Russia in its efforts to defend its sovereignty and interests, during a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow, Russian news reports said. No delivered the message the previous day at a ceremony in Moscow, where he and Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov unveiled a sculpture commemorating North Korean "partisans" who fought alongside Russian soldiers during World War II, according to Russian news agency Ria Novosti. "We will fully support the struggle of the Russian government, army and people, who, under the leadership of the country's President, Comrade Putin, are firmly defending the right to sovereignty, territorial integrity and the interests of the country," No was quoted as saying during the ceremony. Under the "strategic leadership" of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Putin, relations between the two countries are developing in "comprehensive and future-oriented cooperation," No said. Belousov said the monument symbolizes the "unbreakable brotherhood" of the peoples of the two countries,Oct 2, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's FM vows to bolster diplomatic exchanges, cooperation with ChinaNorth Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has vowed efforts to strengthen diplomatic exchanges and cooperation with China in her congratulatory message to China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, on China's key anniversary, state media reported Thursday. Choe's message was delivered to celebrate the 76th anniversary of China's founding the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). In the letter, Choe said the two nations have an "important" mission to develop their bilateral ties through diplomatic cooperation, highlighting that the North and China have reached "complete" consensus on key issues during her recent trip to Beijing. North Korea "will make joint efforts to further develop its cooperative relations with China and strengthen bilateral exchange and cooperation in the diplomatic field," read the message, carried by the KCNA. Choe returned home Tuesday after making a four-day trip to China. She made her first one-on-one meeting with Wang since taking office in June 2022 and also met with China's Premier Li Qiang. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un traveled to Beijing lOct 2, 2025By Yonhap
