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  • North Korea

    N. Korea calls denuclearization 'irreversibly finalized' matter

    North Korea on Sunday called denuclearization an "irreversibly finalized" matter as it denounced recent talks between South Korea and the United States that reaffirmed the goal of the North's denuclearization. An unnamed spokesperson of the North's foreign ministry issued the criticism, after South Korea and the United States reaffirmed the shared goal at the bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group meeting on Thursday. "It is an unreasonable talk and fantastic daydream to mention about disarming the other belligerent party's nuclear weapons," the spokesperson said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The U.S. and its vassal forces' meaningless rhetoric against the DPRK and cooperation in posing a nuclear threat to it can never affect the irreversible position of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state," the spokesperson said. "The 'denuclearization' is an irreversibly finalized matter." DPRK stands for the North's official name — the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The spokesperson also took issue with the bilateral Extended Deterrence Dialogue between the U

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    N. Korea calls denuclearization 'irreversibly finalized' matter
  • North Korea

    Presidential office reaffirms NK's denuclearization as int'l community's 'consistent goal'

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Presidential office reaffirms NK's denuclearization as int'l community's 'consistent goal'
  • Foreign Affairs

    S. Korea, US, Japan hold talks on N. Korea

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    S. Korea, US, Japan hold talks on N. Korea
  • Foreign Affairs

    Lee says S. Korea, Italy are 'optimal partners' for business cooperation

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee says S. Korea, Italy are 'optimal partners' for business cooperation
  • Foreign Affairs

    Lee hopes S. Korea, Italy will work together to promote free trade, multilateralism

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lee hopes S. Korea, Italy will work together to promote free trade, multilateralism
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North Korea

N. Korea holds events to gather momentum ahead of key party congress

North Korea has held various events to gather public momentum ahead of its key party congress set for late this month, featuring an art exhibition and ceremonies for local farmers, state media reported Thursday. A book and art exhibition took place at the Korean Art Museum in Pyongyang the previous day, showcasing some 10,000 literature and science books on the political ideology and performances of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Also on display at the exhibition were paintings, sculptures and other artifacts featuring the daily lives of the North Korean people, the KCNA said. The state media also reported that social organizations sent farming equipment, such as tractors, to local farmers in South Hwanghae Province. The moves are seen as part of efforts to build momentum ahead of the upcoming key party congress, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to announce his major policies on the military, diplomacy, the economy and other areas for the next five years.

Feb 12, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea holds events to gather momentum ahead of key party congress
Foreign Affairs

Foreign ministry sets up team for nuclear-powered sub talks with US: sources

The foreign ministry has launched a team tasked with supporting negotiations with the United States on South Korea's push to build nuclear-powered submarines, diplomatic sources said Thursday. The team, under the North America affairs division, is expected to work as a negotiating channel to advance an agreement between the allies on allowing South Korea to build the strategic vessels, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. The team is also expected to draft a bilateral arrangement outlining how the allies could cooperate on supporting South Korea in securing fuel supply for the submarines. It is seen as an effort to facilitate the agreements reached between the allies following the two summits between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in August and October last year. The agreements cover trade and security commitments, including South Korea's US$350 billion investment package for the U.S. in return for lowering the reciprocal duty on South Korean goods from 25 percent to 15 percent. The move comes amid growing uncertainties over the prospect of the summi

Feb 12, 2026By Yonhap
Foreign ministry sets up team for nuclear-powered sub talks with US: sources
North Korea

American missionary-turned-human rights activist vows to raise voice for NK

American missionary-turned-human rights activist Kenneth Bae, who was once detained in North Korea for more than two years, said he will engage in a broadcasting propaganda initiative using shortwave radio to reach North Korean people. The head of the New Korea Foundation International said in an interview with The Korea Times that he will spearhead a public fundraising campaign to establish a North Korea-focused radio service called Korea Link. “The effort is centered on North Korean citizens rather than the Kim Jong-un regime in the North,” Bae said during the interview at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Feb. 4. “The target of reunification is not the North Korean regime but the North Korean people. Unlike in the past, defection has become nearly impossible. For them, reunification is the only answer.” Bae joined 45 civic and religious organizations on the day before the interview to launch Citizens’ Solidarity for ONE KOREA, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that opposes the Lee Jae Myung administration’s so-called “two-state framework” and seeks to lead the two Ko

Feb 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
American missionary-turned-human rights activist vows to raise voice for NK
Foreign Affairs

Eric Trump tours development projects in Korean city east of Seoul

Eric Trump, the second son of U.S. President Donald Trump, visited a satellite city east of Seoul this week to tour local development projects, city officials said Wednesday. Trump, who is visiting Korea to attend a cryptocurrency forum, met Hanam Mayor Lee Hyun-jae earlier in the day to tour the site of a planned culture complex, named K-Star World, designed to feature a hotel and entertainment facilities. He also visited the site of a former golf course Tuesday that was once used by the U.S. military stationed in Korea but has now been transferred back to the country. Trump, who serves as the executive vice president of The Trump Organization, reportedly showed interest in the sites and asked questions about them. The city said it would seek cooperation with global investment companies, including The Trump Organization, in light of Trump's visit.

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
Eric Trump tours development projects in Korean city east of Seoul
Foreign Affairs

Lee offers condolences over deadly school shooting in Canada

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday expressed condolences over a deadly school shooting in Canada, voicing hope that the country will heal from the tragedy. "On behalf of the Republic of Korea, I convey my heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families and to the people of Canada who are mourning this profound loss," Lee wrote on the social platform X, using South Korea's official name. "I sincerely hope that the people of Canada, united as one under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney, will overcome this grief together and soon return to their peaceful daily lives." The shooting on Tuesday at a high school and a nearby home in a remote town in British Columbia left 10 people, including the shooter, dead and more than 25 injured, according to media reports.

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
Lee offers condolences over deadly school shooting in Canada
North Korea

Unification ministry rejects claims of 'submissive' stance toward N. Korea

The unification ministry on Wednesday rejected media criticism that it maintains a "submissive" stance toward North Korea after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young made back-to-back remarks expressing regrets over actions that strained ties with the regime. "Some are portraying the government's peace efforts as a submissive stance toward the North ... but the government is seeking to create conditions for inter-Korean trust in pursuit of peaceful coexistence," the ministry said in a press release. The media criticism came after Chung expressed regret the previous day over the alleged privately led drone dispatch to North Korea in recent months and Seoul's 2016 shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. "We need the courage to acknowledge the wrongs we have committed, and in that perspective, the drone dispatch was a clear wrongdoing," the ministry said, adding that such past missteps must be overcome. The Lee Jae Myung administration has repeatedly extended overtures for dialogue to Pyongyang since taking office last June, although Pyongyang has r

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
Unification ministry rejects claims of 'submissive' stance toward N. Korea
Foreign Affairs

Seoul-Washington trade tensions cloud US security delegation’s planned visit

Korea's tariff deadlock with the United States is raising concerns in Seoul over potential spillover into security negotiations with its key ally, including talks on nuclear-powered submarines and other nuclear-related issues. Analysts say that if the trade impasse persists, it could even lead to the cancellation of a U.S. government delegation's planned Seoul visit for high-level security consultations. These concerns began on Jan. 27, when U.S. President Donald Trump announced a plan to raise tariffs on Korean products from 15 percent to 25 percent, accusing the National Assembly of delaying passage of a bill required to implement a bilateral tariff agreement finalized last November. Since then, top Seoul officials, including Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, made urgent visits to Washington to assure Seoul's commitment to the agreement and prevent the tariff hike — attempts that have yet to produce a tangible outcome. Adding to the pressure, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Cho that Washington would impose a 25 p

Feb 11, 2026By Lee Hyo-jin
Seoul-Washington trade tensions cloud US security delegation’s planned visit
Foreign Affairs

New Zealand envoy highlights Maori heritage, Korea ties at Waitangi Day event

New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Dawn Bennet highlighted her country’s bicultural foundations and the long-standing friendship between Korea and New Zealand during a Waitangi Day reception at the ambassador’s residence in Seoul on Tuesday. Addressing diplomats, Korean officials and invited guests, Bennet described Waitangi Day as one of the most significant dates in New Zealand’s national calendar. “Waitangi Day is a day for us to reflect on who we are as a country and to honor the partnership at the heart of New Zealand — to celebrate the unique bicultural foundations that continue to shape our identity today,” she said. Bennet said the occasion also provided an opportunity to celebrate the deep and enduring relationship between Korea and New Zealand, noting that despite the geographic distance, the two countries are connected by shared values such as respect, partnership and cooperation. “Friendship — whether between people or between nations — is built on human connection, and human connection at its heart is built on mutual understanding,” she said. As part of her r

Feb 11, 2026By Kim Hyun-bin
New Zealand envoy highlights Maori heritage, Korea ties at Waitangi Day event
Foreign Affairs

Korea, Netherlands reaffirm strategic partnership in trade, economic security

Korea and the Netherlands held the inaugural meeting of a high-level dialogue attended by their foreign affairs and trade ministers Wednesday, reaffirming their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation in trade, economic security, artificial intelligence (AI) and other areas amid heightened global tensions, Seoul officials said. The high-level dialogue brought together Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, with their respective Dutch counterparts, David van Weel and Aukje de Vries, in Seoul. Following their talks, the ministers of the two countries issued a joint statement in which they reaffirmed the need to further deepen bilateral cooperation based on the countries' strategic partnership against the backdrop of increasing geoeconomic tensions and rapid advancements in new technologies. Seoul and The Hague have been working to strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas from trade, economic security and the responsible use of AI in the military domain to semiconductors and critical mineral supply chains under their bilateral strategic partnership forged in

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, Netherlands reaffirm strategic partnership in trade, economic security
North Korea

North Korea says 50,000-unit housing construction project in Pyongyang nearing completion

North Korea said Wednesday that a landmark housing project launched at a previous party congress to build 50,000 living units in Pyongyang will soon be complete, marking a major preparatory step ahead of another party congress later this month. "The goal of building 50,000 living units in the capital, set at the eighth party congress, is nearing ... final completion according to the party-set schedule," the Rodong Sinmun, the party-run newspaper, said. The housing construction is a pet project of leader Kim Jong-un, unveiled at the 2021 congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, aimed at addressing housing shortages and enhancing living standards. Under the project, a total of 40,000 living units were constructed in Pyongyang's Songsin and Songhwa districts in 2022 and in the Hwasong district from 2023 to 2025, with the remaining 10,000 units now nearing completion. The newspaper said the project created "a model modern city" equipped with advanced infrastructure, road networks and green zones over a five-year period. "This grand and elaborate constructions represent the remarkable changes

Feb 11, 2026By Yonhap
North Korea says 50,000-unit housing construction project in Pyongyang nearing completion
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