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  • North Korea

    North Korea denuclearization missing from US readout as Trump pushes for Kim talks

    The United States conspicuously omitted any reference to "the denuclearization of North Korea" from its readout of a phone call between the top diplomats of South Korea and the U.S., raising speculation that Washington is creating diplomatic room for renewed engagement with Pyongyang. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone Monday to discuss a range of bilateral issues, with both sides stressing the need for close coordination between the allies. The two governments, however, differed notably in how they described discussions on North Korea. According to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cho and Rubio "agreed to preserve the strong South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture while maintaining close communication and coordination for peace on the Korean Peninsula and to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue." Cho also told Rubio that Seoul "would work to ensure that U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent messages toward Pyongyang could lead to the resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue and contribute to peace on the Korean

    4 MIN READBy Park Ji-won
    North Korea denuclearization missing from US readout as Trump pushes for Kim talks
  • Foreign Affairs

    US Amb. Steel meets Japanese envoy, stresses continued trilateral cooperation

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    US Amb. Steel meets Japanese envoy, stresses continued trilateral cooperation
  • North Korea

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

    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'
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North Korea

N. Korea holds workshop of party officials over regional development policy

North Korea has held a workshop involving chief secretaries of the ruling party's city and county committees in a bid to stress the faithful implementation of leader Kim Jong-un's regional development policy, state media reported Tuesday. The North held the third workshop of officials from the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK)'s city and county committees from Saturday through Monday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Participants "reaffirmed their will to faithfully fulfill their heavy responsibilities in a sacred struggle to achieve the historic task of regional transformation," the KCNA said. The meeting came as the North's leader Kim called for "bolder" efforts to implement the country's key regional development policy at a key party congress in late February. In 2024, Kim unveiled a policy to build modern factories in 20 cities and counties each year over a 10-year period to improve the living conditions of people in regional areas. Meanwhile, the North's state media officially confirmed party secretary Kim Jae-ryong as doubling as director of the WPK's Organizational L

Apr 7, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea holds workshop of party officials over regional development policy
North Korea

N. Korea's Kim congratulates Laos' president on his reelection as nation's leader

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has congratulated Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith on his reelection as the nation's leader, expressing his hope for further developing ties with Laos, state media reported Tuesday. Kim sent a congratulatory message to Sisoulith, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, on April 1, as he was reelected as president of Laos at the first session of a new parliament March 23, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The North's leader called his reelection an expression of "deep trust and strong support" by Laos' ruling party, government and people toward Sisoulith. Kim expressed his conviction that "friendly and cooperative relations between our two parties and two countries will continue to deepen and develop in accordance with the spirit of an agreement reached at our meeting in October last year in Pyongyang," the KCNA said. The North's leader held talks with Sisoulith in Pyongyang in October on the occasion of the 80th founding anniversary of North Korea's Workers' Party, and they agreed to strengthen

Apr 7, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim congratulates Laos' president on his reelection as nation's leader
North Korea

AnalysisWhat's behind North Korea's sudden push to deepen ties with China, Russia?

North Korea has launched a diplomatic sprint in recent weeks, deepening ties with both China and Russia in what experts describe as a calculated bid to strengthen its bargaining position ahead of any engagement with the United States. Long regarded as one of the world's most isolated states — a reputation reinforced by years of pandemic-era border closures — Pyongyang moved quickly to normalize relations with its two most important partners while quietly maintaining outreach to Southeast Asian nations. The moves come against the backdrop of a planned U.S.-China summit in May that is expected to touch on North Korea's nuclear program and growing speculation about the possibility of a U.S.-North Korea summit in the second half of the year. Restoring China channel On the China front, North Korea has moved to mend ties after years of pandemic-era isolation. Passenger train services between Pyongyang and Beijing resumed on March 12, followed by the return of direct flights on March 30, both after six years of suspension. The countries' two leaders have also maintained a steady exchange of

Apr 7, 2026By Park Ji-won
What's behind North Korea's sudden push to deepen ties with China, Russia?
North Korea

N. Korea's Kim Yo-jong calls Lee 'frank, broad-minded' for his regret over drone incident

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said Monday the leader Kim described President Lee Jae Myung as "frank and broad-minded" following Lee's expression of regret over unauthorized drone flights into the North. Earlier in the day, Lee expressed regret over the incident at a Cabinet meeting, saying "Although this was not an act by our government, I express regret to the North Korean side over the unnecessary military tension caused by such reckless behavior." In a statement released by the North's state media under her name, Kim, who serves as department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party, said Pyongyang "appreciated it as a very fortunate and wise behavior." "Our head of state commented on it as a manifestation of a frank and broad-minded man's attitude," the statement read. However, she also warned Seoul "should stop any reckless provocation" against Pyongyang and "refrain from any attempt at contact, instead of paying lip-service to the utmost importance of peace and security." Late Monday, Cheong Wa Dae said it "hopes the swift inter

Apr 6, 2026By Yonhap
N. Korea's Kim Yo-jong calls Lee 'frank, broad-minded' for his regret over drone incident
Foreign Affairs

Korea to send special envoys to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Algeria to secure alternative crude supplies

Korea will send special envoys to Saudi Arabia, Oman and Algeria to secure stable supplies of crude oil amid prolonged disruptions after the U.S. and Israel began their attacks on Iran Feb. 28, according to the government and the ruling party, Monday. The diplomatic move came as the Strait of Hormuz, the main passage for crude imports to Korea, has been effectively blocked, raising the need to secure alternative crude sources. “Securing alternative crude oil supplies is the most urgent task in the Middle East crisis,” Rep. Ahn Do-geol of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said after a meeting between the party and government officials from relevant ministries. “We will make every diplomatic effort to obtain crude oil. (As part of the efforts), the government and the party agreed to dispatch special envoys to three countries — Saudi Arabia, Oman and Algeria.” Ahn said Korean-flagged ships would be deployed on alternative routes for crude oil supply, noting the government plans to dispatch five Korean-flagged vessels to the Red Sea, specifically to the Saudi port of Yanbu

Apr 6, 2026By Yi Whan-woo
Korea to send special envoys to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Algeria to secure alternative crude supplies
North Korea

Head of spy agency tells lawmakers that N. Korean leader's daughter appears to be his successor

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's daughter Ju-ae appears to be next in line to succeed her father, South Korea's spy chief told lawmakers Monday, in the agency's most definitive assessment yet of the teenager as a successor. National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Lee Jong-seok made the remarks during a closed-door briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee, according to Reps. Park Sun-won of the Democratic Party and Lee Seong-kweun of the People Power Party. "(She) can be seen as the successor," the NIS director was quoted as saying when asked about Ju-ae's status. "This is not a judgement based on mere signs but on credible intelligence." Kim's daughter has recently been prominently featured in state media reports, including one of her driving a battle tank with her father. "Ju-ae has recently made appearances in defense-related sectors," the lawmakers quoted the NIS as saying. "This is assessed to be aimed at diluting skepticism around a female successor and accelerating efforts to build a succession narrative." Last month, the North's state media reported that Kim overs

Apr 6, 2026By Yonhap
Head of spy agency tells lawmakers that N. Korean leader's daughter appears to be his successor
Foreign Affairs

Korea, China custom officials hold meeting on IP rights protection

Director general-level officials from the customs agencies of Korea and China held a meeting last week to discuss concrete steps to protect intellectual property (IP) rights, Seoul's customs office said Monday. The meeting, held Saturday at the Korea Customs Service's (KCS) branch on Jeju Island, came after the countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in January to enhance cooperation for IP protection, according to the KCS. The agreement was reached on the occasion of a summit between Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping. During the meeting, the two sides exchanged information on crackdowns conducted last year on counterfeit goods, while mapping out plans to boost cooperation on IP protection through 2027. In particular, they agreed to regularly share information on crackdowns of fake goods enforced at the customs clearance stage and designate dedicated liaison officers for the swift exchange of information on potential IP infringement, the KCS added. The two countries also agreed to hold the director general-level meeting annually, with the next me

Apr 6, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, China custom officials hold meeting on IP rights protection
North Korea

Lee expresses regret over private drone flights into N. Korea

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday expressed regret over South Korean individuals' unauthorized drone flights into North Korea, saying the actions triggered unnecessary military tensions with Pyongyang. It was the first time that the president expressed regret over the issue. Previously, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young had made similar remarks in February. “Although this was not the intention of our government, we express our regret to the North that unnecessary military tensions were caused by the irresponsible and reckless actions of a few individuals,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting. The remarks came after the indictment of a graduate student surnamed Oh, who was taken into custody and charged with violating the Aviation Safety Act by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on March 25. On March 31, a joint military-police task force announced that a National Intelligence Service employee and two active-duty military officers had been referred to prosecutors for allegedly helping Oh send drones across the border between September 2025 and January 2026. “South Korea

Apr 6, 2026By Park Ji-won
Lee expresses regret over private drone flights into N. Korea
Others

Seoul cites differing circumstances of ships, countries after Japan-linked vessels transit Strait of Hormuz

The foreign ministry said Sunday that the ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz and their associated countries face differing circumstances, after two Japan-linked vessels passed through the vital waterway effectively blocked by Iran. The ministry's comments came after two Japan-related gas tankers transited through the shipping lane, where 26 Korean vessels with 173 sailors on board remain stranded since U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February. Iran has said ships can pass through the maritime corridor through bilateral consultations with Tehran, while appearing to push to impose tolls on vessels using the crucial waterway as leverage over global energy supplies. Several ships linked with China, Thailand and France have also passed through the Strait of Hormuz. "Ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz vary widely in terms of nationality, ownership, operators, cargo, destinations and crew, leading to differing circumstances for each vessel and the countries involved," the ministry said in a message to media. "We prioritize the safety of vessels and their crew members as we take into

Apr 5, 2026By Yonhap
Seoul cites differing circumstances of ships, countries after Japan-linked vessels transit Strait of Hormuz
Foreign Affairs

Finance chief urges GCC nations to bolster supply chain cooperation

Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol urged Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to strengthen cooperation to help stabilize energy and raw material supply chains amid prolonged tensions in the Middle East, the finance ministry said Sunday. Koo, who also serves as deputy prime minister, met with ambassadors from the six GCC countries in Seoul on Friday at the residence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ambassador to discuss economic cooperation, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The GCC comprises the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. Koo and GCC ambassadors expressed concern that the escalating conflict in the Middle East has heightened volatility in global oil prices and financial markets, and warned that rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz could weigh on the global economy. The strait is a key maritime chokepoint through which roughly 25 percent to 30 percent of the world's crude oil and about 20 percent of liquefied natural gas shipments pass. Koo noted that Korea imports about 70 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East, with more than 95 pe

Apr 5, 2026By Yonhap
Finance chief urges GCC nations to bolster supply chain cooperation
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