N. Korea stays mum on key party meeting set to be held early this month

North Korea remains silent about a key Workers' Party meeting that it said it would hold early this month, raising questions about whether the meeting was held at all and if not, why it is being delayed. Last week, North Korea announced that it will hold a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party in "early June" to take "additional state measures for solving pending problems urgent for the economic work and people's living." The session has been drawin

June 11, 2021

N. Korean missiles pose increasing threat to US, allies: Secretary Austin

WASHINGTON -- North Korea continues to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, posing an increasing threat to the United States and its allies, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Thursday. "Pyongyang continues to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, posing an increasing threat to regional allies and partners and with ambitions to be able to strike the US homeland," Austin said in written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee before a he

June 11, 2021

Unification ministry has nothing to say about NK leader's health amid speculation over weight loss: official

The unification ministry is keeping an eye on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's health but currently has nothing to say about any unusual signs amid speculation that he has significantly lost weight, an official said Thursday. A news report earlier said that Kim appears to have lost a "significant amount of weight" based on the analysis that his wrist watch seems to have been fastened tighter around his wrist during a politburo session of the ruling party last week. "The ministr

June 10, 2021

N. Korea stresses cooperation with international Red Cross organizations amid global virus pandemic

North Korea held a Red Cross meeting and stressed the importance of cooperation with international aid organizations amid the global coronavirus pandemic, state media said Thursday. During the meeting held Tuesday and Wednesday, the North highlighted the need to closely cooperate with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other international organizations to achieve its "strategic goals," according

June 10, 2021

Ruling bloc seeks to ratify Panmunjom Declaration

The ruling Democratic Party and the government agreed Wednesday to push for the ratification of a 2018 inter-Korean summit agreement in hopes of reviving the stalled peace process on the Korean Peninsula, and to strengthen coordination with the US on the implementation of its North Korea policy. 　 During the policy consultation session between the Democratic Party and the government, ministers and lawmakers discussed follow-up measures to last month’s South Korea-US summit. They also tal

June 9, 2021

NK paper calls for scientific development conducive to actual growth, production

North Korea's official newspaper called Wednesday for drawing up science and technology development plans in a way that truly contributes to economic growth and production, saying some plans are put together in a "perfunctory" manner. "Some units have shown a tendency of drawing up plans for the development of science and technology in a perfunctory manner without concrete calculations," the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the ruling Workers' Party, said. "Rather than mak

June 9, 2021

N. Korea faces serious humanitarian crisis: report

North Korea faces a serious humanitarian crisis due to food insecurity and limited health care, aggravated by global sanctions and the coronavirus, an international nongovernmental organization has said. According to the latest Inform Severity Index report compiled by the Geneva-based Assessment Capacities Project (ACAPS), North Korea faces a "high" level of humanitarian crisis severity. This represented the second-highest level of a six-tier crisis evaluation scale. The report also

June 8, 2021

NK leader holds meeting with top officials to discuss economic policies in second half

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a consultative meeting with top officials to discuss economic policies for the second half of the year ahead of a key party meeting, state media said Tuesday. Kim urged the officials to make "devoted efforts" to improve the economy at the meeting Monday with senior officials of the Central Committee and provincial committees of the ruling Workers' Party, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The consultative meeting, o

June 8, 2021

'Farmland of peace' project will promote inter-Korean cooperation: unification ministry

The Gyeonggi provincial government's plan to turn an inter-Korean border area into a "farmland of peace" and grow rice there for North Korea could create positive conditions for further inter-Korean cooperation, the unification ministry said Monday. The provincial government is pushing ahead with the project in cooperation with the Korean Peasants League to transform the area near the Gunnam Dam built in the South Korean border town of Yeoncheon, 62 kilometers north of Seoul, to cope

June 7, 2021

NK calls for strengthened discipline ahead of key party meeting

North Korea’s official newspaper on Monday urged officials to strengthen discipline in executing the country’s economic goals ahead of an important party meeting this month. 　 The Rodong Sinmun stressed that the five-year economic development plan laid out early this year was an order from the ruling Workers’ Party and was the “nation’s law,” one that all North Koreans were obliged to execute. 　 To strengthen discipline, the paper urged the officials to &ld

June 7, 2021

Unification minister calls for 'maximum flexibility' on joint military exercises with US

Unification Minister Lee In-young called Sunday for "maximum flexibility" in deciding what to do with joint military exercises with the United States set for August, saying such drills should never serve as a chance to cause additional tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Lee said on KBS TV's "Sunday Diagnosis Live" that additional consideration should be given to how to deal with the upcoming combined military exercises at a time when the new US policy on Pyongyang has shaped

June 6, 2021

Ex-NK admiral responsible for Yeonpyeong naval skirmishes dies

A former North Korean admiral, who led the country's navy at the time of bloody naval skirmishes with South Korea in 1999 and 2002, has died and his remains have been buried at a national cemetery, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday. Kim Yun-sim, who served as naval chief from 1997-2007, was buried at the Patriotic Martyrs Cemetery in Sinmi-ri on Friday, the KCNA said, praising him for "defending the country, people and revolution remaining boundlessly faithful to the

June 6, 2021

NK leader presides over politburo meeting in first public appearance in a month

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over a politburo session of the Workers' Party in his first public appearance in a month and discussed convening a key party meeting and organizational matters, state media said Saturday. During the session, the North decided to hold a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Party in early June to take "additional state measures for solving pending problems urgent for the economic work and people's living," the official Korean Central N

June 5, 2021

Kim Jong-un’s disappearance from public view stokes speculation

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s monthlong disappearance from state media has fueled speculation over his whereabouts, as it marked his longest absence this year.  The last time Kim appeared in a public setting was on May 6 when he held a photo session with military family members, according to state media.  Since then, there have been reports of him sending letters to foreign leaders and his people, but he was not seen in any official events.  When asked whether the S

June 4, 2021

NK leader sends congratulatory message to former Cuban party chief on 90th birthday

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a message to congratulate Raul Castro, former secretary of Cuba's communist party, on his 90th birthday, stressing his role in strengthening relations between the two countries, state media said Friday. "Our party and people always remember and appreciate the great contributions made by Raul Castro Ruz to strengthening the genuine comradely unity and the ties of friendship and cooperation between the two parties and the two countries," Kim said

June 4, 2021

NK propaganda outlet slams S. Korea for decision to take part in upcoming air drills with US, Japan

A North Korean propaganda outlet on Thursday denounced South Korea's decision to participate in an upcoming annual US-led multinational air force drill with Japan. Earlier, the Air Force announced its plans to send F-15K fighter jets, cargo planes and dozens of troops to the Red Flag-Alaska 21-2 exercise set to take place in Alaska beginning next week. "The reality is that the South Korean military is going through fire and water for the US, obsessed with following its scheme to invade Ko

June 3, 2021

Seoul to fund W1.18b to build additional video centers for inter-Korean family reunions

The Unification Ministry on Thursday said it will spend 1.18 billion won ($1.06 million) to construct seven more video centers across the country where families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War may be able to reunite with relatives in the North virtually.  The decision to build additional video facilities was approved during a civilian-government committee on inter-Korean exchanges presided over by Unification Minister Lee In-young. 　 “I have never forgotten that solving the sep

June 3, 2021

N. Korea faces food shortage of 1.35m tons: think tank

North Korea is expected to face a food shortage of about 1.35 million tons this year affected by last summer's typhoons, flooding and a lack of farming materials amid the global pandemic, a state-run think tank said Thursday. According to a report by the Korea Development Institute, North Korea is presumed to have produced about 4.4 million tons of grains last year, down around 240,000 tons from a year earlier. Given that the North is thought to be in need of at least 5.75 million tons of food

June 3, 2021

N. Korea urges youth to play leading role in achieving economic goals

North Korea's largest youth group on Thursday urged its members to play a leading role in the economic field to help achieve the country's economic goals. The Socialist Patriotic Youth League (SPYL) made the appeal at an enlarged meeting of the 10th congress Wednesday via a teleconference system, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Mun Chol, chairman of the Central Committee, delivered a report saying that the SPYL is faced with the "honorable task" of developing th

June 3, 2021

NK leader's powerful sister likely to fill new 'first secretary' post in case of emergency: expert

The newly created No. 2 position at North Korea's ruling Workers' Party likely remains vacant and could be filled by leader Kim Jong-un's powerful sister Yo-jong in case of health issues or other emergencies, an expert said Wednesday. The North's ruling party revised its rules at a rare congress in January to include a new "first secretary" post right after leader Kim, drawing keen attention on who will assume the position. The revised rule stipulates that the first secretary is the

June 2, 2021