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

NK state media urges thorough preparation ahead of monsoon season to minimize damage

North Korea's state-run radio called Wednesday for greater efforts to minimize damage from flooding and heavy rains as the country braces for the summer monsoon season that wrought havoc on major farming areas last year. "All sectors in all areas must come up with preemptive measures to cope with the upcoming rainy season to prevent even the slightest damage," the state-run Korean Central Broadcasting Station (KCBS) said. This year's monsoon season is expected to start affecting Nort

June 30, 2021

NK leader says 'grave incident' has happened due to lapses in anti-epidemic efforts

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said a "crucial case" has happened that could threaten the safety of his people and country in nationwide anti-epidemic efforts, state media reported Wednesday, spurring speculation that a coronavirus outbreak could have hit parts of the country. Kim made the remarks as he presided over an extended politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday, accusing senior officials of neglecting their duties in carrying out measures needed to fight the

June 30, 2021

UN provided $5.9m to North Korea to tackle food shortages

The United Nations provided $5.9 million to North Korea last year to tackle the country‘s severe food shortage and for its COVID-19 response, UN data showed Tuesday. 　 The Central Emergency Response Fund, a global humanitarian fund established by the UN, said it allocated $5 million to the North in June last year to “tackle severe food insecurity and undernutrition,” in its 2020 annual report. The amount is earmarked for 3.59 million people in the country, it said. 　 

June 29, 2021

N. Korea builds apartments on site for late founder's house

North Korea's official newspaper said Tuesday that the site for riverside apartments now under construction in Pyongyang is where a special residence was once located for late state founder Kim Il-sung. In March, North Korea unveiled a plan to build around 800 "terraced apartments" along the Pothong River running through Pyongyang as "gifts" to "working people, including labor innovators and persons of distinguished services in all sectors, scientists, educators and wri

June 29, 2021

Kim’s ‘normal state’ vision still far off

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is continuing his quest to tighten his grip on his country, and to create an image of it as a “normal state.” His new title as of 2021, president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, reflects this. On June 29, 2016, Kim was named chairman of the newly established State Affairs Commission, the regime’s top branch of government and policymaking. The SAC replaced the National Defense Commission, the all-powerful

June 28, 2021

Unification ministry keeping eye on whether NK sends congratulatory delegation to China

South Korea is keeping a close eye on whether North Korea dispatches a delegation to Beijing to mark the 100th anniversary of the Chinese ruling party, the unification ministry said Monday. Thursday will mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party, while Pyongyang and Beijing are set to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their friendship treaty next month. "The government is keeping a close watch on the situation as several commemorative events are being

June 28, 2021

N. Korean paper warns officials against corruption, bureaucracy

North Korea's official newspaper on Monday warned officials against corruption and urged them to focus on improving people's living standards. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's ruling Workers' Party, made the appeal in an editorial, calling on officials to wage a struggle to root out "dangerous poisons" in society, such as bureaucracy and corruption. "We must intensify our struggle against all anti-socialist and non-socialist phenomena that infringes upon the interests

June 28, 2021

Minister vows to act 'more quickly' for resumption of dialogue with NK

Unification Minister Lee In-young on Sunday vowed to act "more quickly" to resume dialogue with North Korea while calling on Pyongyang to flexibly respond to offers for talks. Lee made the remarks during an event to mark the end of the ministry-organized "Unification Walk" campaign where dozens of participants walked together for 13 days along the border in the hope of the reunification of the two Koreas. It was the first of 10 rounds of such walks planned this year, and Lee

June 27, 2021

NK resident voice concerns over Kim's weight loss

North Korea's state-run television recently aired an interview of a resident expressing concerns over a slimmer looking Kim Jong-un amid speculation that he has significantly lost weight. "The people were most heartbroken to see the respected General Secretary looking thinner," a North Korean resident said during an interview with Korean Central Television on Friday. "Everyone is saying that they are moved to tears," the resident said. A news report earlier said that Kim a

June 27, 2021

NK paper urges 'maximum vigilance' against COVID-19 amid global spread of Delta variant

North Korea's official newspaper on Sunday called for "maximum vigilance" against the coronavirus amid the global spread of the highly contagious Delta variant and pandemic fatigue. "All workers and party members must bear deep in mind that the prolonged emergency system against the virus means prolonged maximum vigilance and strong discipline, and must strictly abide by the emergency measures," the Rodong Simun said. The paper also urged officials to tighten control over a

June 27, 2021

US must consider reconstituting six-party talks with N. Korea: former US envoys

The United States should consider engaging with North Korea multilaterally should its bilateral efforts continue to go ignored by the recalcitrant North, former US envoys to denuclearization talks with the North said Friday. They also argued a multilateral process must at least involve China, which they said has far more leverage over the North than the United States. "The fact is we don't have a dialogue (with North Korea)," said Joseph DeTrani, former special envoy for six-nation

June 26, 2021

Slight majority of S. Koreans opposed to COVID-19 vaccine support to N. Korea: survey

A little over half of South Koreans do not want the government to provide COVID-19 vaccination support to North Korea, according to a recent survey. In a joint survey by four polling agencies on 1,006 people aged 18 and older from Monday-Wednesday, 51 percent of respondents said they disapprove of delivering coronavirus vaccines to Pyongyang, while 45 percent said they were in favor of the idea. Last week, President Moon Jae-in said Seoul will push for cooperation with the North on COVID-19 va

June 25, 2021

N. Korea seen marking Korean War anniversary in low-key fashion

North Korea appeared to be marking the anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War in a low-key manner Friday as it is striving to fight the global coronavirus pandemic and bolster its anemic economy. State media outlets have not reported on any anti-US public rallies on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of the war. North Korea had held such street demonstrations around this time almost every year until the first-ever Singapore summit was held in 2018 between leader Kim Jong-un and

June 25, 2021

A look inside the revamped North Korean defector debriefing center

Over 30,000 North Korean defectors have risked their lives to escape their communist homeland and settle in the South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. 　 But before starting a new life in the more prosperous South, all refugees must go through a period of investigation and a debriefing by the spy agency.  　 Run by the National Intelligence Service, the North Korean Refugee Protection Center in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, is where defectors get their first glimpse of the South. At

June 24, 2021

Ministry says dialogue and cooperation 'best way' for stable control of peninsula situations

Dialogue and cooperation are the best way to ensure stable and peaceful control of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, a unification ministry official said Thursday, after North Korea said that it is not interested in resuming talks with the United States. On Wednesday night, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon issued a statement, saying that his country is not considering "even the possibility of any contact with the US" A day earlier, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean

June 24, 2021

Moon stresses urgency of Korea peace in TIME interview

President Moon Jae-in has reaffirmed his commitment to doing his best during the remainder of his tenure to reinvigorate the Korea peace process, according to the TIME magazine. Speaking in a recent interview, posted on its website, Moon said, "The peace we have right now is a very fragile one; it can be shaken at any time." "I know that I don't have much time myself," he added in the story headlined "South Korean President Moon Jae-in Makes One Last Attempt to Heal Hi

June 24, 2021