Activists call for 3rd-party scrutiny before repatriation of N. KoreansHuman rights activists are urging the South Korean government to seek independent confirmation from a third party before repatriating six North Koreans, citing concerns over the credibility of official claims regarding the individuals’ intentions. Their request follows the Ministry of Unification’s announced plan to return the six as early as this week. It stated that all had expressed a desire to return to North Korea after being found in waters of the South ― two in the West Sea on March 7 and four in the East Sea on May 27. But skepticism persists among rights advocates, especially in light of a 2019 incident during the liberal Moon Jae-in administration, in which two North Korean fishermen were repatriated obviously against their will due to suspicions they had committed murder. “Even though the six people expressed their own intentions, I think that direct verification under the presence of the U.N. Refugee Agency or other U.N. agencies in Seoul is necessary because of the past case,” Peter Jung, a human rights activist who runs Justice for North Korea, a Seoul-based NGO,Jul 8, 2025By Jung Min-ho
Abductee family group to suspend leaflet campaigns against N. KoreaA South Korean civic group representing families of abductees held in North Korea said Tuesday it will suspend the distribution of anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. Choi Seong-ryong, the head of the group, made the announcement in a joint press conference with the Paju municipal government, less than a year after the group resumed leafleting campaigns in the border city. "I was swayed after I received a call from Unification Minister nominee Chung Dong-young, Vice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung and Rep. Yoon Hu-duk," Choi said at the press conference held in Imjingak in Paju. "I promise to the people that we will outright halt sending newsletters on abducted family members from today forward." Choi also said he asked other groups involved in the leafleting campaigns to halt their activities in order to help President Lee Jae Myung establish dialogue with the North. Last month, Lee ordered the government to come up with measures to prevent and punish the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border to lower inter-Korean tensions.Jul 8, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim visits mausoleum to mark 31st anniversary of founder's deathNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday visited a mausoleum for late state founder Kim Il-sung to mark the 31st anniversary of his death, the North's state media reported. Kim visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to pay tribute to the late leader at midnight, flanked by key party officials, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kim Il-sung, the late grandfather of Kim Jong-un died due to heart failure on July 8, 1994, at age 82. "He made a deep bow of best wishes for immortality to the great leaders," the KCNA said, referring to Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, the late father of the current leader. North Korea is expected to hold this year's anniversary in a relatively calm manner as the country usually marks every fifth and 10th key anniversaries with large-scale celebrations. The visit came as the North's leader has been strengthening his status as a standalone leader while reducing his reliance on his predecessors for authority. An official at South Korea's unification ministry assessed that party secretary Ri Hi-yong may not be a member of the presidium of the party polJul 8, 2025By Yonhap
South Korea to repatriate 6 North Korean residentsThe government said Monday it will repatriate six North Korean residents who were rescued after drifting into South Korean waters earlier this year — a move that, if carried out, aligns with the Lee Jae Myung administration's push for reengagement with Pyongyang. Although Pyongyang has not responded to repeated notifications from Seoul about the planned repatriation, the Ministry of Unification said it will proceed with the operation on humanitarian grounds. "The government’s position is to promptly and safely repatriate all six North Korean residents rescued in the East and West Seas from a humanitarian standpoint, as they have all expressed a strong desire to return," ministry spokesperson Koo Byung-sam said during a press briefing. Koo declined to offer details on when or how the repatriation would take place, although the operation is reportedly set to occur as early as this week. The six North Koreans comprise two fishermen rescued in the West Sea in March and four individuals found in the East Sea on May 27. During investigation by South Korean authorities, all six stated theyJul 7, 2025By Lee Hyo-jin
North Korea opens doors to Western tourists for trade fair, but bars journalists and influencersA China-based North Korea travel agency is recruiting Western tourists for an international trade fair in Pyongyang this October, but is explicitly banning journalists, content creators and influencers from participating. Young Pioneer Tours, a tour operator specializing in travel to North Korea, announced on its website Sunday that it is accepting applications for a seven-night, eight-day trip to Pyongyang from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. Although North Korea has not officially reopened its borders to general tourism since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency said it will offer travel visas for those attending the Pyongyang International Trade Fair, framing the opportunity as a rare exception. The tour includes visits to major landmarks such as Kim Il Sung Square and the USS Pueblo, along with attendance at the opening and closing ceremonies of the fair. A possible excursion to Mount Myohyang is also included in the itinerary — which, if realized, would mark the first visit by Western tourists to the mountain region since North Korea sealed its borders in early 2020. However, the ageJul 7, 2025By Hankookilbo
N. Korea runs dining boats on Pyongyang's Taedong RiverNorth Korea has launched a dining boat service, allowing tourists to enjoy food while drifting on the Taedong River that runs through Pyongyang, a pro-North news outlet reported Monday. A sightseeing round boat service is currently popular among tourists on the Taedong River, the Choson Sinbo, a pro-North Korean newspaper based in Japan, reported. The awning-roofed boats come in six-person and 12-person types, both steered by the passengers themselves and equipped with barbecue tables installed at the center, the newspaper said. The media quoted a transportation ministry official as saying that civilian demand for the river boat service is growing rapidly, mostly from families, and that it's difficult to meet demand on holidays. The Taedong River is a popular destination for both foreign and local tourists in North Korea. A cruise boat service launched on the river in 2013 can carry up to 300 passengers and includes a dining hall. The launch of the dining boat service comes as the country has developed various tourism programs aimed at earning foreign currency, as well as promoting domestJul 7, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea highlights state founder Kim Il-sung's leadership ahead of the 31st anniv. of his deathNorth Korea on Monday heaped praise on state founder Kim Il-sung, recalling his leadership as flawless as the country marks the 31st anniversary of the late leader's death this week. "Our great leader led the revolution to victory without a single mistake (of deviating from) the policy line or showing even the slightest bias," the Rodong Sinmun, the North's most widely read newspaper, reported, calling Kim "a peerless great man." The newspaper said the founder's wish to build a powerful country is being realized by the current leader Kim Jong-un, adding that "all the dreams and ideals wished for by the people will be materialized into reality." The article came as Tuesday marks the 31st anniversary of the founder's death on July 8, 1994. Ahead of the anniversary, schoolchildren held a presentation event at the Mangyongdae Children's Palace in Pyongyang the previous day, while foreign organizations and others laid flower baskets at the founder's statue in the capital, according to North Korean media. Last year, Kim Jong-un visited and paid his respects at the family mausoleum on the 30th aJul 7, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea sets up new ministry in charge of disaster management: SeoulNorth Korea has set up a new ministry in charge of emergency disaster management in a bid to better respond to natural disasters, South Korea's unification ministry said Friday. A new government agency, tentatively named the disaster prevention ministry, was first identified in footage aired by North Korea's state-run TV network the previous day, Seoul's ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said. Footage carried an interview with an official at the ministry who stressed the need to bolster the country's crisis response capabilities at every level, citing potential risks from natural disasters such as typhoons and floods. The unification ministry said there is a high possibility the State Emergency Disaster Committee, a Cabinet-level organ handling disaster management, could be revamped into the Disaster Prevention Ministry. The North probably upgraded the committee into the ministry-level agency on judgment that responsibility and authority are dispersed at the committee level. North Korea is vulnerable to natural disasters due to its lack of infrastructure, with heavy rains, in parJul 4, 2025By Yonhap
S. Korea checking for possible radioactive wastewater from NK uranium plantSouth Korea sent nuclear safety experts to the country's western border island of Gangwha on Friday to collect water samples for analysis in connection with a suspected release of wastewater from a North Korean uranium refining plant, the country's nuclear watchdog said. According to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, a team of experts from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) collected water samples from six locations on the island. The samples will be sent to KINS laboratories for detailed examinations to detect the presence of radioactive substances, such as cesium and uranium. The move came after a recent news report that North Korea may have dumped waste from a uranium refining plant in Pyongsan County into rivers that flow into South Korea. The team plans to investigate 10 designated sites to determine whether radioactive or heavy metal contamination has occurred. Authorities aim to complete their analysis within two weeks and disclose the results to the public.Jul 4, 2025By Yonhap
HRW voices concern over probe into 6 US citizens for trying to send rice to N. KoreaHuman Rights Watch (HRW), the New York-based human rights organization, has expressed concern regarding the investigation of six U.S. citizens who attempted to send money, rice and Bibles to North Korea last week. Lina Yoon, a senior researcher on the Korean Peninsula at HRW, raised the alarm following the brief detention of the activists by South Korean police on June 27. They were accused of violating an administrative order that bans sending any materials across the inter-Korean border, a measure enacted due to safety concerns for local residents. “The South Korean authorities’ use of a disaster-safety law to stop any North Korea-related border activity could deter groups that are trying to safely provide useful information to ordinary North Koreans. The government should not be discouraging careful, quiet outreach that allows North Koreans one of their few links to the outside world,” Yoon told The Korea Times recently. Their attempt to send the materials to the North has come as the liberal Lee Jae Myung government has been seeking engagement with Pyongyang. The activists atteJul 4, 2025By Jung Min-ho
