N. Korean delegation of prosecutors heads to Russia amid cooperationA North Korean delegation of prosecutors has departed for Russia, the North's state media reported Tuesday, as the two nations have deepened cooperation in various fields. Yun Kwang-won, vice director of the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office, departed Pyongyang the previous day, the Korean Central News Agency said, without disclosing other details, including the purpose of the trip. North Korea and Russia have been bolstering cooperation in the military, economy and other areas since the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a mutual defense treaty in June last year. In July 2024, Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov visited North Korea for the first time. The two nations agreed to cooperate on fighting against crimes related to digital currency and other information technology, according to Russia's media reports.Aug 5, 2025By Yonhap
Unification minister asks for Buddhist community's role in improving inter-Korean tiesUnification Minister Chung Dong-young met with the leader of the largest Buddhist sect Monday and requested the religious community to play a role in improving inter-Korean ties. Chung made the call during a meeting with Ven. Jinwoo, leader of the Jogye sect, at Jogyesa Temple in central Seoul, amid Seoul's ongoing efforts to engage North Korea in talks aimed at easing tensions and improving relations. "The lessons and ideas of Buddhism are powerful forces that can bring the two Koreas to peaceful coexistence again," Chung told the Jogye leader. "I will appreciate it if the Buddhist community could play a significant role." Ven. Jinwoo gave a positive assessment of the government's ongoing outreach to North Korea, suggesting that "an approach through culture could make it more natural and smooth (for the two Koreas), and play a role in quickly fostering a reconciliatory mood." The Buddhist leader also cited proposals for joint Buddhist events with North Korea at Mount Kumgang, a North Korean mountain recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage list, as an example of cultural inter-KoreanAug 4, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea slams Japan's reported move to deploy upgraded anti-ship missiles in KumamotoNorth Korea on Monday lambasted Japan over a reported move to deploy upgraded surface-to-ship missiles in western coastal Kumamoto Prefecture near China as Tokyo continued to strengthen its defense posture. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) issued the criticism following a recent Japanese news report that the country's defense ministry is finalizing a plan to deploy locally produced Type-12 anti-ship missiles at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto during the current fiscal year that runs through March 31. The missile has a range of 1,000 kilometers and is capable of reaching China's coastline. The planned deployment is intended as a deterrence to China, and the ministry is also considering deploying the missiles in Okinawa Prefecture, the report said. The KCNA claimed the deployment is intended to secure Japan's preemptive strike capabilities, aimed at realizing its ambition for the imperial-era "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere," rather than deterring any specific threat. "Through military buildup and reorganization, as well as schemes for force modernization, Japan is approaching a situaAug 4, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea urges loyalty to leader Kim ahead of 80th anniv. of Korean liberationNorth Korea on Sunday invoked state founder Kim Il-sung as a "historic hero" of Korea's liberation and urged loyalty to his grandson, current leader Kim Jong-un, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule. The North's state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper invoked the state founder's role in the liberation struggle, praising him as "a legendary hero in fighting Japanese (colonial) rule" and a "historic patriot." The article subsequently shifted its focus to the current leader, emphasizing that Kim Jong-un inherited the spirit of independence fighters, including Kim Il-sung, and claiming the country will remain invincible under his leadership. The newspaper also recalled the current leader's horseback march to snow-covered Mount Paektu in December 2019, comparing it to the state founder's independence struggle, which is said to have been based on the mountain. In a separate article, the newspaper also called for loyalty to Kim Jong-un, describing him as a "presence like the sky, whom the people should uphold with their whole heartAug 3, 2025By Yonhap
Head of N. Korea's assembly holds talks with Russia, 3 other nations in GenevaPak In-chol, chairman of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, has held talks with his counterparts from Russia and three other countries in Geneva, Switzerland, on the sidelines of a global meeting of assembly chiefs, state media reported Sunday. Pak met with the chairperson of Russia's Federation Council, as well as the heads of the Mongolian and Vietnamese assemblies and a deputy chairperson of the Lao parliament, during his attendance at the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament from last Tuesday to Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. During her talks with Pak, Valentina Matvienko, the Russian parliamentary speaker, cited the "close friendship" between the North Korean and Russian leaders as the "fundamental element" that has elevated bilateral ties to their highest level in history, the KCNA reported. The agency also quoted her as saying that Russia-North Korea ties "have overcome all kinds of challenges and proved their value since the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty." She also reaffirmed Russia's solidarity with North Korea. ChinAug 3, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea expresses hope for 'lasting' peace after Thailand-Cambodia ceasefireNorth Korea expressed on Saturday hope for "lasting peace and stability" in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Cambodia reached a ceasefire this week to end days of deadly clashes along their border. A spokesperson for the North's foreign ministry made the remarks in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency after the ceasefire came into effect at midnight Monday. "We hope that the countries in Southeast Asia will achieve lasting peace and stability in the region by ironing out their disagreements, deepening political confidence and promoting bilateral cooperation," the spokesperson said. At least 35 people have been killed from the fighting that began July 24, according to media reports. yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr (END)Aug 2, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea alleges US drills with S. Korea, Japan are practice for 'preemptive strikes'North Korea lambasted recent U.S. military drills with South Korean and Japanese forces, on Saturday, accusing them of being preparations for "preemptive strikes" against it. The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, made the accusation in an article, taking issue with U.S.-led air drills that began last month near Japan and recent air logistics drills between South Korean and U.S. Marines. "(They) are aimed at conducting pre-emptive strikes against our Republic," the article read. "To ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, indiscriminate military actions by the United States, Japan and South Korea must stop." The article also criticized ongoing trilateral military cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan, accusing it of being intended to "crush" the North by collective military force. It said it is only "fair and upright" for the North to bolster its defense force in response to such activities. South Korea has recently made efforts to strengthen three-way security cooperation with the United States and Japan amid evolving nuclear and missile threaAug 2, 2025By Yonhap
Unification minister emphasizes Trump's role in building solid peace on Korean PeninsulaUnification Minister Chung Dong-young met with the acting U.S. ambassador in Seoul and emphasized the importance of President Donald Trump's role in building solid peace on the Korean Peninsula. Chung made the remarks during a meeting with acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Joseph Yun, as both the Lee Jae Myung and Trump administrations seek to resume dialogue with North Korea to ease tensions. "We have high hopes for President Trump's leadership. I want to emphasize the importance of his leadership and the significance (of his term) in turning the unstable peace on the Korean Peninsula into a solid one," Chung said in his opening remarks. Yun affirmed that President Trump is keenly interested in Korean Peninsula issues, suggesting Trump's ongoing efforts to engage with North Korea. "The projects he initiated with North Korea are not yet complete. Being aware of this, I am giving a lot of thought to what I would do with that side," Yun said. The meeting came as the Lee administration is reportedly considering adjusting the upcoming annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise with theAug 1, 2025By Yonhap
N. Korea slams US, Japan for turning alliance into 'nuclear' coalitionNorth Korea on Friday slammed the United States and Japan for turning their alliance into a threatening "nuclear" coalition, claiming the move justifies its own defense buildup. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) issued the criticism in an article by a North Korean international affairs analyst, citing last year's upgrade of U.S.-Japan consultations on extended deterrence to the ministerial level and the two countries' recent reaffirmation of extended deterrence guidelines. Extended deterrence refers to the U.S.' stated commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear arms, to defend its ally. North Korea also cited Japanese authorities' recent tour to a base for U.S. B-52 strategic bombers and the staging of a joint military drill simulating nuclear use. "It shows the U.S.-Japan military alliance is turning into a dangerous 'nuclear alliance,'" the article said, accusing Japan of attempting to "embark on the road of invasion ... with the backing of the U.S." It claimed that the U.S. is driving the regional situation to a "dangerous touch-and-go" condiAug 1, 2025By Yonhap
S. Korea permits private-level inter-Korean exchanges without restrictionsSouth Korea has begun allowing its nationals to contact North Koreans without restrictions, provided such contacts are declared in advance, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Thursday. Chung said he signed off on the disposal of ministry guidelines governing declarations of contacts with North Koreans the previous day, speaking to reporters on his way to the office earlier in the day. Such guidelines had served as the basis for the government to reject civilians' bids for contact with North Korean nationals, contributing to the near-freeze in private-level inter-Korean exchanges in recent years. The change allows ordinary South Koreans to engage freely with North Koreans, provided they declare such contacts to the ministry in advance, a requirement stemming from the fact that the two Koreas technically remain at war, with only an armistice having halted the 1950-53 Korean War. "This (permits) full-range contacts at the private level," Chung said. "Free contacts between the peoples make mutual understanding possible, which can then lead to coexistence." The minister said a NationalJul 31, 2025By Yonhap
