Was that Kim Jong-un’s daughter on TV?

Was that Kim Jong-un’s daughter on TV? North Korean watchers are zeroing in on a girl who appeared on the reclusive state’s national TV during a recently televised event, saying she could be Kim Jong-un’s only daughter, Ju-ae. The UK's Daily Mail first reported about the child among a pack of preteen children attending the anniversary of the founding of North Korea from a broadcast of the Korea Central Television. It cited a self-proclaimed North Korean analyst of InDPRK.c

Sept. 26, 2022

UN envoy says ‘will become bridge between’ Lee Dae-jun family, international community

Elizabeth Salmon, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, said she supports the family of Lee Dae-jun, the South Korean fisheries official who was killed by North Korean soldiers at sea in 2020. In a letter dated Sept. 23 seen by The Korea Herald, Salmon told Lee’s 20-year-old son, “I am here to support you and your family.” “I will support the efforts made by you, your family and the Republic of Korea to reveal the fact, t

Sept. 26, 2022

Yoon sees greater likelihood of N. Korean provocation in case of Taiwan conflict

President Yoon Suk-yeol has expressed concern that a potential military conflict between China and Taiwan could raise the likelihood of North Korea's provocations, making clear the "top priority" of the Seoul-Washington would lie on dealing with Pyongyang. Yoon made the remarks when asked whether he would support the United States coming to Taiwan's military defense if China were to attack the island, which Beijing regards as part of its territory. "In the case of milita

Sept. 26, 2022

N. Korea holds politburo session on agriculture without leader Kim's attendance

North Korea held a ruling Workers' Party politburo meeting to discuss the issue of improving the country's agricultural situation, its state media said Monday. Jo Yong-won, secretary for organizational affairs of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, presided over the politburo meeting the previous day, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not attend the meeting. Officials at the meeting adopted an "imp

Sept. 26, 2022

N. Korea fires one short-range ballistic missile into East Sea: S. Korean military

North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea on Sunday, South Korea's military said, two days after a nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier arrived here for allied drills. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from an area in or around Taechon, North Pyongan Province, at 6:53 a.m., and that it flew some 600 kilometers at an apogee of around 60 km at a top speed of Mach 5. The intelligence authorities of the South and the United States are conductin

Sept. 25, 2022

N.Korea denies supplying arms to Russia, denounces US ‘rumors’

North Korea’s Defense Ministry said that the country has never supplied weapons to Russia and denounced the US for spreading “groundless” rumors, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday. An unnamed vice director general of the General Bureau of Equipment at North Korea’s Defense Ministry issued a pronouncement on Wednesday to refute the US’ recent public statements on Russia’s request for North Korea to provide rockets and artillery shells,

Sept. 22, 2022

[From the Scene] South Korea official killed by North Korea gets funeral after 2 years

MOKPO, South Jeolla Province -- Lee Dae-jun, the South Korea government official who was shot dead by North Korean troops at sea on Sept. 22, 2020, was finally given a funeral on Thursday. At the service held in his hometown Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, over 100 people turned up to pay their final respects to Lee. The service, which was not open to the public, was attended mostly by relatives and former colleagues at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. President Yoon Suk-yeol sent flowers,

Sept. 22, 2022

N. Korea's military says it has never exported weapons to Russia

North Korea's military said Thursday it has never exported weapons to Russia and does not plan to do so, according to its state media, rejecting accusations of arms trade between the two countries. Earlier this month, a US state department spokesperson said Russia may be in the process of purchasing "millions of rockets and artillery shells" from North Korea, which would violate multiple U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on the North. In response, a top North Korean militar

Sept. 22, 2022

Satellite imagery suggests N. Korea may be preparing to launch new submarine: 38 North

WASHINGTON -- A recent satellite imagery of North Korea's main submarine shipyard showed possible preparations to launch a new submarine, a US monitor reported Wednesday. The satellite imagery, taken Sunday, showed six barges and other vessels gathered around the submarine launch quay at Sinpo South Shipyard, according to 38 North. "While barges and a dry dock have been occasionally observed around the submarine launch quay at the main construction hall, the presence of six vessels and

Sept. 22, 2022

US warns arms supplies by N.Korea, Iran to Russia will lead to further sanctions

The United States will respond to arms supplies by North Korea and Iran to Russia with further sanctions to block Russia’s efforts to evade economic sanctions to illegally replenish its depleted stocks of weapons, senior US government officials said Tuesday. At a congressional hearing, US senators and senior officials at the Treasury and Justice departments took note of Russia’s pursuit to procure military equipment for its troops in Ukraine from the cash-strapped countries subject t

Sept. 21, 2022

Arab cultural festival showcases Qatar World Cup Pavilion

Arab cultures are being showcased ahead of the upcoming Qatar World Cup through Sept. 16 -24 in the lobby of Coex in southern Seoul. The pavilion is part of an exhibition held ahead of the World Cup which kicks off on Nov. 20 in Doha, Qatar’s capital city, and offers visitors a chance to experience Arab culture through activities like trying on Arab costumes, tasting Arabic desserts, getting Arabic pattern tattoos, and taking photos in a majlis, or sitting room in Arabic. Co-hosted by the

Sept. 21, 2022

In letter to Xi, N. Korean leader highlights strong bilateral ties against 'hostile forces'

In a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stressed that relations between the two sides will continue to grow despite "heinous isolation" from "hostile forces," according to Pyongyang's state media Wednesday. "The constant support and encouragement by the general secretary and the party, government and people of China are ... victoriously advancing socialism despite the hostile forces' heinous isolation and blockade moves and

Sept. 21, 2022

Ex-unification minister questioned in probe into 2019 repatriation of 2 N. Korean fishermen

Prosecutors on Tuesday questioned former Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul as part of an investigation into allegations involving the previous government's repatriation of two North Korean fishermen in 2019, officials said. Kim has been accused of ordering an early end to a government inquiry into the North Koreans captured near the inter-Korean sea border and sending them back to the North despite their wish to defect to South Korea, while he was unification minister. The North Koreans' repatr

Sept. 20, 2022

[From the Scene]Partnership with Korea in e-governance, digital ecosystem vital to Kazakhstan: minister

By SanjayKumar Korea Herald correspondent NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan -- A partnership with South Korea in e-governance and the digital ecosystem is vital to Kazakhstan, the country's Minister of Digital Development Bagdat Musin said Thursday. “I visited South Korea in 2006 and I saw first e-services there and I realized the need to bring such a system to Kazakhstan,” Musin told foreign journalists at the Digital Government Office in Nur-sultan, Kazakhstan. “Now, we are collaboratin

Sept. 20, 2022

Chief of N. Korea's minor political party dies: state media

Pak Yong-il, a senior member of North Korea's parliament known for his role in inter-Korean exchanges, has died, according to Pyongyang's state media Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a wreath the previous day expressing deep condolences over his death, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Pak was vice chairman of the standing committee of the North's rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly and chairman of the central committee of the Korean Soc

Sept. 20, 2022

[Newsmaker] Families of Lee Dae-jun, Otto Warmbier meet

The families of Lee Dae-jun, a South Korean government official shot dead by North Korean troops at sea in 2020, and Otto Warmbier, a US college student who died after North Korea’s detainment left him in a coma in 2017, met on Saturday. Lee Rae-jin, the older brother of the South Korean official, told The Korea Herald that Fred and Cindy Warmbier, parents of the American student, got together for the first time at the couple’s home in Cincinnati, Ohio. “I have been wanting

Sept. 18, 2022

S.Korea, US warn of ‘overwhelming, decisive response’ to N.Korean nuclear attack

South Korea and the United States warned of an “overwhelming and decisive response” to any nuclear attack by North Korea at high-level strategic talks on Friday, denouncing North Korea’s first-use nuclear doctrine as an “escalatory and destabilizing messaging.” The two countries held the meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group between South Korean and US vice ministers of foreign affairs and defense on Friday in Washington for the first ti

Sept. 17, 2022

FULL TEXT: Grieving brother’s letter to Kim Jong-un

The older brother of Lee Dae-jun, South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was killed by North Korean soldiers at sea in 2020, asked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for a chance to visit the site of the tragedy. In an open letter to Kim, which was made public on Friday, Lee urged to be granted “a chance to pay a visit” and “a moment to pray for him to rest in peace.” He said that on the second anniversary of his death, on Sept. 22, his family p

Sept. 17, 2022

N. Korea accuses Japan of 'nullifying' 2002 joint declaration

North Korea argued formally Friday that Japan should be held accountable for "nullifying" a joint declaration issued two decades earlier in a bid to improve bilateral ties, according to Pyongyang's state media Friday. Song Il-ho, ambassador of the North's foreign ministry, directed the criticism against Japan in a statement carried by the country's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration s

Sept. 16, 2022