N. Korea could return to dialogue with US, spy agency says

South Korea's spy agency has told lawmakers that North Korea could return to nuclear dialogue with the United States as it is intent on ending hostile relations with the country, a source said Friday.  The National Intelligence Service made the comment Thursday while debriefing the National Assembly's intelligence committee on the recent remarks from Pyongyang, the source with knowledge of the matter said.  "North Korea's consistent position is to end its hostile relations with

July 9, 2021

Unification minister voices strong regret over PPP leader's call for abolition of his ministry

Unification Minister Lee In-young expressed strong regret Friday after the chief of the main opposition People Power Party suggested a need to abolish the ministry handling inter-Korean affairs. PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok raised the suggestion during a radio interview earlier in the day, saying it is inefficient to separate the duties of the foreign ministry and the unification ministry. "I would like to ask whether Chairman Lee Jun-seok's remarks represent the party's opinion," Lee s

July 9, 2021

Brother of late fisheries official asks NK diplomatic missions to deliver letter to leader Kim

The brother of a South Korean fisheries official killed in North Korean waters said Friday he sent emails to the North's diplomatic missions in Hong Kong and Mongolia asking them to deliver his letter to leader Kim Jong-un. The fisheries official was shot and killed by North Korea's military in September while adrift in waters north of the inter-Korean sea border in the Yellow Sea, a day after he went missing the previous day while on duty near the western border island of Yeonpyeong. On Frida

July 9, 2021

N. Korea's malicious cyber activities pose threat to US, allies: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- North Korea poses a significant cyber threat to the United States and other countries, particularly to financial institutions, a State Department spokesman said Thursday. Ned Price also highlighted the need for joint efforts to counter such threats posed by the North. "North Korea's malicious cyber activities threaten the United States. They threaten our allies and partners, countries around the world," the spokesman said at a press briefing, also elaborating that the N

July 9, 2021

Key NK military official ousted from top ruling body

Ri Pyong-chol, who has led North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, appears to have been ousted from the presidium of the Politburo, the highest decision-making body of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, according to a photo released by the North’s state media on Thursday. 　 A picture released by the Korea Central News Agency showed Ri, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, missing from the front row alongside four other presidium members at the Kumsusan Pal

July 8, 2021

N. Korea's paper reports on coronavirus situations in S. Korea

North Korea's official newspaper on Thursday ran detailed reports about recent spikes in coronavirus infections in South Korea. In an article with a headline mentioning South Korea's coronavirus conditions, a rarity, the Rodong Sinmun provided information on the latest COVID-19 confirmed cases in the South. "Reports show that a huge stir is being caused as the number of new coronavirus infections in South Korea has spiked," the paper said, mentioning the number of confirmed cases h

July 8, 2021

NK leader visits mausoleum to mark late grandfather's death anniversary

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a mausoleum for his late grandfather and national founder Kim Il-sung to mark the anniversary of his death, state media reported Thursday, dismissing rumors about his health. Kim paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where Kim Il-sung's body lies in state, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, a day after rumors surfaced in South Korea that Kim fell unconscious after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage and his uncle Kim Pyong-il had forced him

July 8, 2021

S. Korea's intelligence agency dismisses rumors over NK leader's health as 'groundless'

South Korea's main intelligence agency said Wednesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is believed to be handling state affairs "normally," rejecting rumors that he fell unconscious due to health problems. Earlier in the day, rumors spread that Kim remains unconscious after suffering cerebral hemorrhage and that a coup led by his uncle Kim Pyong-il has forced him from power. "We determine that the speculation about Kim's health is groundless," the National Intelligence

July 7, 2021

N. Korea in 'tug of war' with US over policy direction: defense ministry

North Korea appears to have begun a "tug of war" with the United States over its policy on Pyongyang while focusing on strengthening internal unity and economic development, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The assessment was made during a meeting of top military commanders, including Defense Minister Suh Wook and Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Won In-choul, which was meant to check the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and discuss the policy direction for the

July 7, 2021

Russians leave N. Korea en masse amid global pandemic

A group of Russians left North Korea en masse last week after living in the country for the past several years, Russia's Embassy in Pyongyang said. Photos released on the embassy's Facebook page on Tuesday showed dozens of Russians waving as they prepared to depart from Pyongyang Station. "On July 2, many of our colleagues and friends returned to their homeland - those who have worked with us in Russian missions abroad in the DPRK for the past few years, including during these difficult c

July 6, 2021

NK premier inspects economic sites, indicating his exclusion from recent reshuffle

North Korea's Premier Kim Tok-hun made field inspection visits to economic sites, state media said Tuesday, confirming that he has been spared from a recent reshuffle carried out to fire officials responsible for causing a "crucial case" in the country's fight against the coronavirus. Kim, also a member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, "inspected several units concerning the national economy" and saw preparations to pre

July 6, 2021

N. Korea hit recently with greater volatility in prices, exchange rate: ministry

North Korea is faced with greater volatility in foreign exchange rates and prices of goods, the unification ministry said Monday, amid economic challenges fueled by the protracted coronavirus pandemic. "The government is keeping an eye on the volatility of major economic indices, including the prices of goods and currency exchange," Lee Jong-joo, the ministry's spokesperson, told a regular press briefing. "We believe that such indices have become more volatile recently," sh

July 5, 2021

N. Korea not cooperating with global vaccine distribution program: report

North Korea has not been cooperating with a United Nations-led global vaccine distribution program, failing to complete necessary paperwork to receive help against the coronavirus pandemic, a report said Sunday. Citing an anonymous source, Voice of America (VOA) reported on talks between North Korea and Gavi, a vaccine alliance that helps run COVAX, an international initiative aimed at global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. According to the report, North Korea has completed only two of the

July 4, 2021

[Newsmaker] N. Koreans overtake S. Koreans in TOEFL score in 2020: report

North Koreans surpassed South Koreans in the Test of English as a Foreign Language, one of the leading English language proficiency tests, last year, a report showed Saturday. According to a report from the U.S.-based Education Testing Service, the administrator of TOEFL, the average score in the internet-based TOEFL by North Korean nationals was 87 out of 120 in 2020. North Koreans' average TOEFL score, up four points from 2019, was the same as the global average and one point higher than S

July 3, 2021

Unification ministry says it does not know about Moon-Kim letter exchanges

The unification ministry on Friday said it is not aware of anything in connection with a news report that President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un exchanged letters to discuss the possibility of a video summit. On Friday, a local newspaper reported that Moon and Kim exchanged personal letters and discussed ways to resume inter-Korean talks via a virtual summit around the time of Moon's summit meeting with US President Biden in May. "We do not know in regard to the conten

July 2, 2021

N. Korea's No. 2 leader keeps his seat in recent reshuffle, holds key party meeting

North Korea's No. 2 leader Choe Ryong-hae presided over a key Workers' Party meeting, state media said Friday, confirming that he survived a recent reshuffle carried out to sack officials responsible for causing a "crucial case" in the country's fight against the coronavirus. Choe, president of the presidium of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), convened the 15th plenary meeting of the standing committee at the Mansudae Assembly Hall, the official Korean Central News Agenc

July 2, 2021

NK leader appears to have reshuffled top officials at recent politburo meeting: official

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to have carried out a reshuffle of top officials at a recent politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, a unification ministry official said Thursday. State media earlier reported that Kim discussed "an organizational issue," including the election of new politburo members and a secretary of the party's Central Committee, at the extended politburo meeting of the party on Tuesday. It did not provide details on those newly elected. "The

July 1, 2021

US aware of NK leader Kim's remarks on 'grave incident' in anti-pandemic steps: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States is aware of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's remarks about a serious incident with regard to the North's fight against the new coronavirus, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. Jalina Porter, principal deputy spokesperson for the department, however, offered no immediate US plans to provide humanitarian assistance, including COVID-19 vaccine, to the impoverished North. "We are certainly aware of the report -- what Kim Jong-un has said -- but we

July 1, 2021

NK leader vows to elevate relations with China to new strategic point

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to elevate relations with China to a new strategic point as he sent a congratulatory message to Chinese President Xi Jinping to mark the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, state media said Thursday. In an apparent reference to the deepening Sino-US rivalry, Kim also said in the message that "hostile forces" are engaged in "vicious slander and all-round pressure" upon China, but they can "never check the on-going adva

July 1, 2021

No. of NK defectors entering resettlement center drops 85% on year to 57 in first half

Fifty-seven newly arrived North Korean defectors were admitted to the government-run resettlement education center in the first half of the year, an 85 percent drop from a year earlier amid the North's anti-coronavirus border closure, an official said Wednesday. During the same period last year, 380 North Korean defectors entered the Hanawon resettlement center. "The number of people entering Hanawon fell sharply as countries took antivirus measures, including blocking arrivals and restri

June 30, 2021