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  • North Korea

    N. Korea, Belarus near visa-waiver agreement for ordinary citizens: report

    North Korea and Belarus are close to signing a visa-waiver agreement for ordinary citizens, Belarus' state media has reported. The report by the Belarusian news agency BelTA on Sunday (Belarus time) said Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov discussed ways to enhance mutual times with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui, including the pending deal. "We will sign it in the very near future," Ryzhenkov was quoted as saying. "We discussed the entire range of bilateral relations, including the upcoming contacts through the foreign ministries and the signing of a number of agreements, including this important agreement on visa-free travel for citizens." The report said only "some technical details" were left to be work out. The move is believed to be a follow-up to the March summit in Pyongyang between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, where they signed an agreement on friendship and cooperation. At that time, Lukashenko was seen receiving an assault rifle as a present from Kim. In another sign of deepening ties, Belarusian Prime Minist

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    N. Korea, Belarus near visa-waiver agreement for ordinary citizens: report
  • Foreign Affairs

    Korean, Mexican FMs discuss cooperation in AI, middle-power solidarity

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Korean, Mexican FMs discuss cooperation in AI, middle-power solidarity
  • North Korea

    N. Korea slams Japan's Yasukuni shrine visits as 'neo-militarist frenzy'

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    N. Korea slams Japan's Yasukuni shrine visits as 'neo-militarist frenzy'
  • North Korea

    No signs of additional deployment of NK troops to Russia detected: S. Korean military

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    No signs of additional deployment of NK troops to Russia detected: S. Korean military
  • North Korea

    N. Korea denounces Japan's record defense budget as 'war preparation'

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    N. Korea denounces Japan's record defense budget as 'war preparation'
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North Korea

Photo display of N. Korean Embassy in Beijing features more photos of leader Kim's daughter

The North Korean Embassy in Beijing was seen Wednesday to have updated the photo display on its outdoor bulletin board, adding new images of leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter. The embassy irregularly changes the photos on the board, which sits beside its main gate. The recent update featured 25 new photos in total, with a central portrait of Kim flanked by 12 images on either side, drawn mostly from his inspection trips dating from 2016 until as recently as February this year. It included two photos from this year — one showing Kim visiting a livestock farm and the other capturing him at a construction completion ceremony alongside his daughter, Ju-ae, both in February. Her appearance brought the number of photos featuring her to six, up from three in March, though same as before, none of the captions identified her by name. The bulletin board has long served as a window into how North Korea wants to be seen abroad, and Pyongyang has used it to send political messages on its own timeline rather than to broadcast diplomatic milestones as they happen. The photo replacement seen on Wednes

Jul 1, 2026By Yonhap
Photo display of N. Korean Embassy in Beijing features more photos of leader Kim's daughter
Foreign Affairs

1 more Korean vessel exits Strait of Hormuz

One additional Korean-operated vessel has exited the Strait of Hormuz after being stranded there amid the U.S.-Iran war, bringing the total number of ships remaining in the region to just two, the oceans ministry said Wednesday. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said the vehicle carrier bound for Korea safely passed through the strategic waterway and is sailing normally, with six Korean sailors on board. It was among the 26 Korea-related vessels that had been stranded in the strait after Iran blocked shipping routes in the waterway in late February amid its conflict with the United States and Israel. With the latest departure, only the HMM Namu, which sustained damage in Iranian-linked missile attacks and is undergoing repairs at a port in Dubai, and one other ship are Korea-linked vessels still within the Persian Gulf. The ministry said the HMM Namu is expected to leave the strait in late July after repairs are completed, while the other vessel will likely resume its sailing in accordance with its shipping schedule. A total of 35 Korean sailors now remain in the Persian Gulf, includin

Jul 1, 2026By Yonhap
1 more Korean vessel exits Strait of Hormuz
Others

Korea, Int'l Red Cross discuss ways to expand cooperation on humanitarian aid

Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina has met with the chief of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and discussed cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster response, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. During the talks held in Seoul on Tuesday, Kim and IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain exchanged views on Seoul's humanitarian assistance policy and measures to strengthen cooperation with the organization, according to the ministry. Kim highlighted the IFRC's role in responding to natural disasters and helping enhance the international community's capacity in the health sector amid a growing number of humanitarian crises worldwide. The vice minister also outlined Korea's efforts to play a greater role in humanitarian aid and called for continued cooperation with the organization, based on the IFRC's expertise and global network. Chapagain expressed appreciation for Seoul's support, saying it has made a tangible contribution to the agency's operations. He also requested Seoul's attention to areas facing growing humanitarian needs, inclu

Jul 1, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, Int'l Red Cross discuss ways to expand cooperation on humanitarian aid
North Korea

N. Korea's Kim vows strong ties with China on founding anniversary of Chinese Communist Party

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has marked the 105th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in a congratulatory message to Chinese President Xi Jinping, reaffirming his commitment to strengthen ties with Beijing, state media reported Wednesday. "There is no new China without Communist Party. This is the truth the Chinese people have realized while advancing under its guidance for many years," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Kim as saying. Kim recalled his summit with Xi in Pyongyang last month, calling it a "historic occasion of deepening the comradely friendship and trust between us and reconfirming the unshakable will to more dynamically promote socialist construction in the two countries and their traditional friendly relations," according to the KCNA. Xi made a two-day state visit to Pyongyang on June 8-9, his first trip to North Korea in nearly seven years. During the visit, the two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation across politics, economy and culture, pledging to strengthen high-level communication and open a new chapter in bilateral relations. "

Jul 1, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim vows strong ties with China on founding anniversary of Chinese Communist Party
North Korea

S. Korean, Ukraine FMs agree to resolve North Korean POW issue under international law

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, agreed Tuesday that the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) captured during the Russia-Ukraine war should be handled in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles. The two ministers discussed the POW issue as well as a wide range of mutual interests and bilateral cooperation during Sybiha's visit to Seoul, according to the ministry. It marked the first visit in 11 years by a Ukrainian foreign minister to Korea for bilateral talks. Cho and Sybiha agreed to continue seeking a resolution to the North Korean POWs issue that respects the detainees' free will, the foreign ministry said in a press release. "The two foreign ministers had a shared understanding that this matter should be resolved in a manner consistent with international law and humanitarian principles," ministry spokesperson Park Il said at a briefing, adding that the government will continue its diplomatic efforts to advance and resolve the issue. He declined to elaborate further, citing the sensitivity o

Jun 30, 2026By Park Ji-won
S. Korean, Ukraine FMs agree to resolve North Korean POW issue under international law
North Korea

N. Korea's port activity jumps fivefold since 2019, suggesting illicit coal trade: report

Commercial vessel activity at North Korea's ports has surged fivefold since 2019, a report said Tuesday, raising fresh suspicions of illegal coal trading. The report, co-published by the Seoul-based Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights and British research group Data Desk, tracked vessels longer than 80 meters at North Korea's five major ports — Nampho, Chongjin, Wonsan, Rason and Kimchaek. Recorded activity climbed to 3,756 cases last year, up from 783 in 2019. Nampho, North Korea's largest coal export hub, saw the sharpest rise with more than 3,000 cases last year, up from 554 in 2019. The findings were based on satellite imagery of the ports combined with AIS data — the digital location signals sent by ships. One key detail in the report is that only between 14 and 33 percent of vessels visible in satellite photos appeared in AIS records — a gap the report says points to ships deliberately going dark to evade detection. North Korea's coal exports have been banned outright since the United Nations passed Resolution 2371 in 2017. The ban, however, has not stopped the tr

Jun 30, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's port activity jumps fivefold since 2019, suggesting illicit coal trade: report
Foreign Affairs

Late Filipino captain designated Korean War hero of July

The veterans ministry on Tuesday named late Philippine Army Capt. Conrado Yap as the Korean War hero of July in recognition of his sacrifice and valor in the 1950-53 Korean War. Yap, who participated in the war as the commander of the special company of the Philippine 10th Battalion Combat Team, fought in the Battle of Yuldong, a defensive battle against Chinese communist forces in April 1951. During the battle, the Philippine forces succeeded in holding off Chinese attacks for two days despite being outnumbered. The special company under his command succeeded in retaking the hill occupied by the Chinese forces, but Yap suffered severe wounds in the process and died while rescuing survivors and recovering the corpses of his fellow comrades. The South Korean government posthumously awarded him the Taegeug Order of Military Merit in 2018. The Philippines sent 7,420 troops to the Korean War, of whom 112 died, 299 were wounded and 16 went missing.

Jun 30, 2026By Yonhap
Late Filipino captain designated Korean War hero of July
North Korea

Dossier reveals chaos behind Koreas' nuclear negotiations in early 1990s

Inter-Korean talks on the North Korean nuclear issue dissolved into shouting matches behind closed doors, with officials cutting each other off and hurling insults, according to newly declassified government records on the 1991-1993 nuclear negotiations Tuesday. The unification ministry released the 3,836 pages of transcripts from 32 rounds of inter-Korean nuclear talks held between December 1991 and January 1993. The disclosure marked the ministry's eighth release of archival records on inter-Korean talks since May 2022. At the center of these talks was the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula signed by the two Koreas on Jan. 20, 1992. Following the landmark agreement, North Korea said it would agree to accept inspections from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), while South Korea agreed to suspend the Team Spirit, its annual military exercise with the United States. Negotiations, however, proved challenging. A joint nuclear control commission, which was set to manage mutual inspections, quickly stalled as the sides disagreed with inspection method

Jun 30, 2026By Yonhap
Dossier reveals chaos behind Koreas' nuclear negotiations in early 1990s
Others

Korea, East Timor agree to expand cooperation in climate change, infra, education

Korean and East Timorese foreign ministers agreed Monday to broaden cooperation in climate change, infrastructure, human resource development and other areas of mutual interest, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The agreement was reached during the meeting between Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his East Timorese counterpart, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, held in Seoul earlier in the day, according to the ministry. Freitas' visit marked the first official trip to Korea by an East Timorese foreign minister since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2002, though he previously visited the country twice, in 2010 and 2011, while serving as head of East Timor's vocational training and employment agency. During the talks, the two sides agreed to expand cooperation in education, human resource development and government capacity building, which East Timor considers key priorities for its national development. The ministers also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in climate change-related areas, including greenhouse gas reduction projects, and carbon capture and storage (CC

Jun 29, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, East Timor agree to expand cooperation in climate change, infra, education
Foreign Affairs

Kidnapping, detention cases involving Koreans abroad surge 20-fold in 4 years: data

The number of kidnapping and detention cases involving Korean nationals overseas surged twentyfold over the past four years due largely to a rise in transnational criminal operations, data showed Monday. According to the data submitted by the foreign ministry to Rep. Kim Joon-hwan of the ruling Democratic Party, the number of kidnapping and detention cases recorded the sharpest increase, jumping over twentyfold from 31 cases in 2021 to 624 cases in 2025. The rise appears to be linked to transnational criminal operations uncovered in recent years in Cambodia and other countries, where organized crime groups have been accused of luring Koreans and other foreign nationals into online scam operations. In total, the number of incidents involving Koreans abroad came to 19,359 last year, tripling from 6,498 cases in 2021. The number rose steadily to 11,323 in 2022, 15,769 in 2023 and 17,283 in 2024. Serious crimes involving Korean nationals abroad were also reported in 2025, including 24 homicide cases, 108 robberies and 114 cases of sexual assault. By region, Europe recorded the largest number o

Jun 29, 2026By Yonhap
Kidnapping, detention cases involving Koreans abroad surge 20-fold in 4 years: data
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