South Korea mulls skipping annual report on human rights abuses in North KoreaThe South Korean government is considering withholding its annual report on human rights violations in North Korea, a move that comes amid President Lee Jae Myung's push for rapprochement with Pyongyang and, if confirmed, would mark the first such omission since the publication began in 2018. The Ministry of Unification said Tuesday it is "reviewing various options" in its response to local media reports that the report would not be issued this year. "We are also taking into account the fact that there hasn’t been much newly collected testimony from North Korean defectors since last year’s publication," a senior ministry official told reporters in a closed-door briefing. According to the official, around 200 defectors have arrived in the South in recent years, but most of them had spent more than a decade in a third country before resettling here. Fewer than 10 came directly from the North, making it difficult to obtain fresh, meaningful accounts of their homeland for the report. The official noted that issuing the publication annually is not mandated under law. But he declined to coAug 12, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
N. Korea holds firing drills ahead of planned S. Korea-US joint military exercisesNorth Korea has conducted artillery firing drills to bolster its combat readiness posture, the North's state media reported Tuesday, as South Korea and the United States prepare to kick off their joint military exercise next week. Tactical artillery subunits of the North's military conducted a "firing practice contest" Monday in accordance with a combat drill plan from the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The North's move came a week before Seoul and Washington are scheduled to launch their annual summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, set for Aug. 18-28. North Korea said the firing contest was aimed at "perfecting the capability to fight a war and battle readiness of the entire army." The firing drills "served as an occasion to demonstrate the strong will of the army to thoroughly contain military gangsters in the land adjacent to the border and reliably defend the security," the KCNA said in an English-language statement. The latest exercise was overseen by Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the ruling party's Central MAug 12, 2025By Yonhap
Unification minister discusses NK issues with Swedish envoyUnification Minister Chung Dong-young met with the Swedish ambassador in Seoul on Monday to discuss ways to step up cooperation and address pending issues on the Korean Peninsula, his office said. During talks with Swedish Ambassador to South Korea Karl-Olof Andersson, Chung expressed appreciation for Sweden's diplomatic efforts to "ease inter-Korean tensions and to promote peace on the peninsula as a country that maintains diplomatic relations with North Korea and operates an embassy in Pyongyang." Chung emphasized that South Korea and Sweden will continue to work closely together, noting that Sweden's diplomatic network and trusted relationship with North Korea can make a "significant contribution to resuming dialogue on the peninsula." Highlighting Sweden's longstanding commitment to the Korean Peninsula, Andersson said his country will maintain close communication with Seoul on issues regarding North Korea. Sweden established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1973 as the first Western country and has often acted as a bridge between Washington and Pyongyang. It also hosted the wAug 11, 2025By Yonhap
No signs of N. Korea further dismantling border loudspeakers: militaryNorth Korea does not appear to have removed any additional loudspeakers installed along the border that blare noise into South Korea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday, after the North was seen beginning to dismantle some last week. On Saturday, the JCS said it detected the North Korean military removing border loudspeakers in parts of the front-line area, apparently in response to South Korea's recent complete removal of its own loudspeakers to reduce inter-Korean tensions. "We have no additional details to share," JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun told a regular press briefing. "Additional verification is needed as to whether (the removal) will take place in all border areas. Our military is closely monitoring the North Korean military's activities." Lee declined to specify how many loudspeakers North Korea has taken down. He noted that the North has in the past frequently removed and reinstalled small loudspeakers along the border as part of "maintenance," adding that the military needs to wait and see whether the latest move will lead to additional removals. The North's moAug 11, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea warns of 'self-defense' measures against planned S. Korea-US military exerciseNorth Korea's defense chief on Monday warned that Pyongyang would exercise its "self-defense" right in the event of a provocation, denouncing a planned large-scale joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States. North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang-chol issued the warning a week before Seoul and Washington are set to kick off their annual summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise from Aug. 18-28, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "We strongly denounce the U.S. and the ROK for their provocative moves of clearly showing the stand of military confrontation with the DPRK," the defense minister said, accusing the allies of undermining the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and warning of "negative consequences." North Korea's military "will cope with the war drills ... with thoroughgoing and resolute counteraction posture and strictly exercise the sovereign right of the DPRK at the level of the right to self-defense in a case of any provocation going beyond the boundary line," he warned. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the DemAug 11, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea begins dismantling loudspeakers targeting S. Korea along border: JCSNorth Korea began dismantling some loudspeakers installed along the border for noise campaigns against South Korea, Saturday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, just days after the South completed removing border loudspeakers to reduce inter-Korean tension. On Tuesday, South Korea completed dismantling its anti-Pyongyang loudspeakers along the heavily fortified border, after suspending propaganda broadcasts critical of the North, June 11, in line with President Lee Jae Myung's efforts to mend strained ties with the North. "Activities by the North Korean military removing loudspeakers against South Korea have been detected in parts of the front-line area since Saturday morning," the JCS said in a notice to reporters. The military said further verification is needed as to whether it will take place in all border areas, vowing to continue to monitor relevant movements by the North Korean military. The North has long bristled against the military's loudspeaker broadcasts and leaflets sent by activists over fears of outside information that could pose a threat to its ruling regime. But undeAug 9, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea installs more border loudspeakers against S. Korea between May, June: JCSNorth Korea increased the number of loudspeakers against South Korea installed along border areas between May and June, but none of them are currently in operation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Friday. The move came as North Korea remains unresponsive to South Korea's completion of dismantling its anti-Pyongyang loudspeakers along the heavily fortified border this week. The South Korean military said the North increased the number of loudspeakers facing the South in front-line areas in May and June. "North Korea currently does not engage in the (noise-blaring) broadcasts against the South, so none of the (speakers) are actually in service," a JCS official said, noting the move was intended to enhance their output. North Korea appears to have added more loudspeakers even after South Korea suspended loudspeaker broadcasts critical of the North on June 11 in line with President Lee Jae Myung's efforts to mend strained ties with the North. The South Korean military began dismantling some 20 fixed loudspeakers along the border Monday and completed it a day later. Asked whether North KorAug 8, 2025By Yonhap
Unification minister vows efforts to address issue of abductees held in N. KoreaUnification Minister Chung Dong-young met with families of abductees held in North Korea and pledged to make progress on the issue, including efforts to resume dialogue with Pyongyang. The meeting with members of a group representing families of those abducted by North Korea came after the group agreed in June to halt its leaflet campaigns toward North Korea, following an appeal by the Lee Jae Myung government aimed at reducing tensions and improving inter-Korean relations. Choi Seong-ryong, the group's leader, reaffirmed his promise to "never do anything to provoke North Korea," while urging the minister to resolve the issue of the abductees instead. Chung expressed gratitude for the group's cooperation with the Lee government, pledging that the government "will do its utmost to open dialogue with North Korea and make progress on the issues of abductees and prisoners of war." Kim Tae-joo, the wife of the chief fisherman on a South Korean fishing boat abducted by North Korea in 1987, broke into tears during the meeting with the minister. She dropped to her knees and pleaded for the minisAug 8, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea asserts rights to space explorationNorth Korea on Friday asserted its legal right to explore outer space as it marked the third anniversary of a revision to its space development law that expanded its mission to defense capabilities. Jang Song-chol, dean at Kim Il Sung University, made the point in an article published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), recalling the parliamentary revision of the outer space development law in 2022. Jang said the revision laid the legal foundation for accelerating the outer space industry, vowing to uphold the country's right to space exploration by nurturing more talent in the space law sector. He said North Korea has made efforts in research and education on space law in a bid to "align national space development with international and domestic laws" and to "completely uphold its legal right to become a space powerhouse." In November 2023, North Korea launched a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit and pledged to launch three more spy satellites by 2024. However, these plans did not materialize, as North Korea's attempt to launch one in May last year failed.Aug 8, 2025By Yonhap
US notes 'with interest' N. Korea's recent statement hinting at openness to dialogue: officialWASHINGTON — A U.S. diplomat said Thursday that the United States notes "with interest" a recent statement by the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that apparently signaled Pyongyang's openness to diplomacy with Washington while rejecting any dialogue on its denuclearization. Seth Bailey, acting deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, made the remarks during a public event, referring to last week's statement by Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the North's ruling party's Central Committee. "We have also seen high-level statements from the DPRK leadership, including recent statements from Kim Yo-jong, which we note with interest," he said at the event that the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) hosted for the family members of the troops who went missing, mostly during the 1950-53 Korean War. DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "Both President Trump and Republic of Korea President Lee have shown their commitment to diplomacy and engagement with NorAug 8, 2025By Yonhap
