N. Korea's Kim, in message to Xi, vows strong ties with China regardless of changes in int'l situationNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to develop bilateral ties with China regardless of changes in the international situation in his message to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, according to Pyongyang's state media. Kim sent a congratulatory message to Xi to mark the 76th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "It is the steadfast stand of our Party and the government of the Republic to steadily develop the traditional DPRK-China friendship no matter how the international situation may change," Kim wrote in the message. DPRK refers to North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim said North Korea is willing to cooperate with China to further strengthen their relations and defend peace and stability in the region and beyond "through the close strategic communication and cooperation," according to the KCNA. The North's leader traveled to Beijing last month to attend China's lavish military parade. At that time, Kim and Xi held their first talks in more than six years signalling thatOct 1, 2025By Yonhap
Seoul reaffirms goal of denuclearizing Korean Peninsula following NK official's UN addressSouth Korea on Tuesday reaffirmed its "consistent" goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula after a senior North Korean diplomat vowed to never give up nuclear weapons during an address at the United Nations. "Denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula is the consistent goal of the international community, including South Korea and the United States," the foreign ministry said. The ministry stressed that the U.N. has also been calling for North Korea to denuclearize through a series of Security Council resolutions. Addressing a general debate of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Monday (local time), North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong reiterated North Korea's position that it will never give up its nuclear program "under any circumstances." He said imposing denuclearization is "tantamount to demanding (North Korea) surrender sovereignty and right to existence." The foreign ministry reaffirmed that the South Korean government has declared its three-point principle of respecting the North Korean regime, not pursuing unification by absorption and not engaging in hostile actsSep 30, 2025By Yonhap
Unification minister says N. Korea capable of hitting US mainlandUnification Minister Chung Dong-young has said North Korea is capable of hitting the U.S. mainland, apparently referring to the North's recent development of its intercontinental ballistic missiles, in rare public remarks about Pyongyang's weapons capability. Chung made the remarks at a press conference in Berlin on Monday (local time) during his ongoing visit to Germany as South Korea's representative to attend a ceremony marking German unification. "North Korea has become one of the three countries capable of attacking the U.S. mainland," Chung told reporters. "What needs to be acknowledged should be acknowledged rationally." North Korea claims it has achieved an "irreversible hegemonic position" of missile development, having successfully test-launched the Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the U.S. mainland in October last year. The unification minister said North Korea's current "strategic position" is different from when its leader Kim Jong-un held his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore in 2018, adding that acknowledgingSep 30, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea, China pledge to strengthen partnership during Choe-Li meeting: KCNANorth Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met China's Premier Li Qiang and conveyed Pyongyang's unwavering stance on advancing ties with Beijing in line with the demands of the era, the North's state media reported Tuesday. Choe delivered the remarks during the meeting in Beijing on Monday, the third day of her four-day trip to China, which also included talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Choe recalled that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed during their recent talks to stimulate high-level exchanges between the two countries, the KCNA said. The foreign minister also told the premier, "It is ... the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's unchanging position to further strengthen and develop the traditional (North Korea-China) partnership in line with the demands of the era." Choe outlined her country's economic efforts to complete projects in the final year of the country's five-year economic development plan and wished the Chinese people success in their struggle for national rejuvenation underSep 30, 2025By Yonhap
Foreign minister says Pyongyang may respond to Seoul's peace overturesForeign Minister Cho Hyun said Monday that Pyongyang may respond to the new Seoul administration's continued overtures for peace, citing North Korea's dispatch of a diplomatic delegation to the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly last week. Cho made the remarks in an interview with broadcaster MBC after returning from the U.N. gathering held in New York last week, where he accompanied President Lee Jae Myung. When asked about the North Korean delegation's participation, Cho said the move could be understood as Pyongyang's intention to engage in dialogue with the international community. "So (we) think there could be a response to the messages sent out by the Lee Jae Myung government on easing inter-Korean military tensions, building trust and ultimately establishing peace," Cho said. "Although small, there are also activities (for a response) being detected." Regarding possible talks between Pyongyang and Washington on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea late next month, Cho said preparations were being made while taking into account vSep 29, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's vice FM holds talks with Cuba's top diplomat in New YorkA North Korean vice foreign minister has held talks with Cuba's top diplomat to discuss bilateral ties on the sidelines of the ongoing U.N. General Assembly in New York, news reports and an online feed showed Monday. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrilla's X account and foreign news reports on Sunday (local time) showed he met with North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong in New York. They discussed the friendship and solidarity between North Korea and Cuba, highlighting the historical ties between their parties and governments, according to Rodriguez. He also shared photos of himself shaking hands with Kim and sitting next to him over a coffee table. Kim arrived last week in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly, marking North Korea's first high-level attendance at the U.N. gathering in seven years. The Kim-Rodriguez talks effectively mark the first reported high-level meeting between the countries since South Korea established official diplomatic relations with Cuba in February last year, a move seen as a blow to the North, which has maintained close tiSep 29, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea to grant pardon to convicted people on occasion of key party anniv.North Korea will grant a pardon to convicted people next month on the occasion of the 80th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), state media reported Sunday, a move seen as aimed at solidifying internal unity. The Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly has decided to grant a pardon to those who were convicted of "crimes against the country and people" to mark the WPK's founding anniversary set for Oct. 10, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The amnesty will be effective Wednesday, it said, noting the Cabinet and related organs will map out "practical measures" to help the pardoned settle and return to their normal lives. North Korea last carried out pardons around two key anniversaries in 2022 — the 110th birthday of late state founder Kim Il-sung's birthday in April and the 80th birthday of late former leader Kim Jong-il in February. The North has granted pardons on the occasion of key national holidays and political events, including the birthdays of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. Pardons also have been issued to mark the regime's Sept.Sep 28, 2025By Yonhap
North Korea's top diplomat meets Chinese counterpart in Beijing: reportNorth Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Sunday in Beijing, a Chinese media outlet said. The report by the China Global Television Network came after the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said earlier in the day that Choe left Pyongyang for China "by plane for her personal use" Saturday. North Korea and China have announced that Choe is visiting China from Saturday to Tuesday at the invitation of the Chinese foreign minister. Upon departure, Choe and the North's delegation were seen off by ministry officials and Chinese Ambassador Wang Yajun, according to the KCNA report. Choe's visit to China comes as North Korea is preparing a large-scale military parade to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea on Oct. 10. The North is reported to be inviting state leaders to the event. The trip follows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's high-profile attendance at China's military parade in Beijing on Sept. 3 and his subsequent talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping the next day. Choe accompanied Kim on the latest triSep 28, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim reaffirms 'invariable' stance on ensuring security through nuclear forceNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed his country's "invariable" stance on ensuring security through its nuclear forces, highlighting steady preparations for its "nuclear counteraction" as an "essential top-priority" task, state media reported Saturday. Kim made the remarks Friday, when he met nuclear scientists and technicians, and presided over a key consultative meeting on the production of nuclear materials and weapons, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). His message came after the U.S. President Donald Trump's administration reaffirmed its commitment to the "complete" denuclearization of North Korea. At Friday's meeting, Kim stressed that making steady preparations for advancing the country's nuclear posture is an "essential top-priority task," calling it an "unchangeable duty." "The powerful deterrent, namely, the logic of peacekeeping and security by force with nuclear forces as its backbone is the invariable stand of the DPRK," Kim was quoted as saying. DPRK is short for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He also calledSep 27, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korean merchant vessel crosses sea border, retreats after warning shots from SouthA North Korean merchant vessel briefly crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the Yellow Sea, the de facto maritime border between the Koreas, on Friday and retreated after South Korea's military fired warning shots, officials said. The 140-meter-long North Korean vessel crossed the NLL near the South Korean border island of Baengnyeong at 5:06 a.m. and remained on the southern side for an hour, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The vessel, which departed from a port in North Korea, reportedly advanced up to 5 kilometers south of the NLL. The South Korean military, which had been monitoring the North Korean ship's advance toward the NLL, issued warning broadcasts, but the vessel crossed the line, triggering a South Korean Navy vessel to fire around 60 warning shots and shells. The North Korean ship subsequently veered westward and retreated from the South's maritime control area at around 6 a.m., JSC officials said. The 2,800-ton ROKS Cheonan frigate was conducting operations in the area at the time of the NLL breach. A JCS official said a dozen Chinese ships were situated neSep 26, 2025By Yonhap
