NK leader pays respects to fallen soldiers to mark anniversary of Korean War armistice

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a cemetery to pay respects to the soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War to commemorate the armistice that ended the fighting in the war, a state broadcaster reported Tuesday. The Korean War ended in the armistice signed July 27, 1953, leaving South and North Korea technically in a state of war. The North called the war the Fatherland Liberation War and designated the armistice signing date as Victory Day. Kim visited the Fatherland Liberation War

July 27, 2021

NK to hold conference of war veterans 2nd year in a row despite COVID-19

North Korea is set to hold a national conference of war veterans to mark the 68th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, state media reported on Monday, piquing interest in what messages Kim Jong-un may deliver at the event.  The Korean War ended in an armistice on July 27, 1953, and was never replaced with a formal peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically at war. The North officially refers to the war as the Fatherland Liberation War and claims victory. 　 The Korea Central New

July 26, 2021

NK propaganda website slams Japan for taking issue with S. Korean banners at Olympics

A North Korean propaganda outlet slammed Japan on Monday for labeling cheer banners that South Korea's Olympic delegation hung at the athletes' village as anti-Japanese and forcing them to be taken down. Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda website, said in a commentary that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's "gang" has accused South Korea of hanging anti-Japanese banners and went so far as to have "far-right gangsters" display the Japanese imperialist flag in front of the

July 26, 2021

N. Korea to hold national conference of war veterans to celebrate end of Korean War

North Korea plans to hold a national conference of war veterans to celebrate the 68th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, state media said Monday, despite the global coronavirus pandemic. "The 7th National Conference of War Veterans is to be held in Pyongyang with splendor on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of the victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The Korean War ended in an armistice signed on July

July 26, 2021

More foreign diplomats exit North Korea amid COVID-19

More foreign diplomats stationed in North Korea, including from Indonesia and Bulgaria, have fled the reclusive regime due to dire living conditions amid prolonged COVID-19 restrictions. 　 Japanese broadcaster NHK on Saturday reported that about 30 people believed to be diplomats and their family members arrived by bus at the Chinese border city of Dandong on Friday after leaving the North. The report said Indonesian Embassy vehicles were there to pick them up. 　 Indonesia’s Foreign Mini

July 25, 2021

NK leader expresses support for China's flood recovery efforts in message to Xi: state media

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a message of sympathy to Chinese President Xin Jinping over damage from recent flooding in the neighboring country, state media reported Saturday. In the verbal message, Kim expressed profound sympathy to Xi and deep condolences to the victims of the recent flood that "claimed heavy casualties and material losses in several areas including Henan Province of China," the official Korean Central News Agency said. He also expressed full support for Xi

July 24, 2021

NK paper calls grain production 'life-or-death' matter

North Korea's official newspaper on Friday called for all-out efforts to maximize grain production this year, saying successful farming is a "life-or-death" matter that could determine the country's fate. "The top priority issue of this year's national policy is successful farming," the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the country's ruling Workers' Party, said in an editorial. "All citizens living in this country should provide every possible support while regarding good fa

July 23, 2021

Vice FM Choi, Deputy Secretary Sherman to hold talks on N. Korea, global issues

First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman held talks in Seoul on Friday over stalled nuclear diplomacy with North Korea and other bilateral and global issues. The strategic dialogue comes as Washington pushes to cement regional alliances and partnerships to confront shared challenges, including China's growing assertiveness. The agenda for the meeting included regional challenges that "threaten to undermine the rules-based international order

July 23, 2021

NK paper calls on officials to make 'big leap' in achieving economic goals

North Korea's official newspaper on Wednesday warned officials against working irresponsibly and urged them to make a "big leap" to achieve the country's economic goals. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party, made the appeal, urging officials to wage a battle "beyond the limits of their ability and potential." "The party and people have very high expectations for our officials as they break through unprecedented challenges," the paper said. "

July 21, 2021

N. Korea highlights friendly ties with Russia on summit anniversary

North Korea on Tuesday vowed efforts to advance friendly relations with Russia on the occasion of the anniversary of a joint declaration adopted when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang in 2000. The North's foreign ministry also said that the declaration adopted after the summit between then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Putin has served as a "driving force" in their bilateral ties against "complicated international conditions of the 21st century." &quo

July 20, 2021

NK official paper calls for continued efforts for self-reliance even if economic conditions improve

North Korea's official newspaper on Monday called for continued efforts to realize a self-reliant economy even if the situation improves, saying the country would end up subservient to others unless it is able to stand on its own. North Korea's emphasis on "self-reliance" appears intended to tighten internal discipline amid bleak economic conditions caused by prolonged global sanctions and border controls to ward off a coronavirus outbreak. "Even if the room for exchanges and co

July 19, 2021

N. Korea's imports from China surge on-month in June

SHENYANG, China -- North Korea's imports from China rose sharply to $12.3 million last month from $2.71 million a month earlier, Chinese trade data showed Sunday. The North's imports had fallen to $29,000 and $3,000 in January and February, respectively, before rising to $28.75 million in April and then falling again in May, according to the data. North Korea's exports to China posted $1.81 million in June, with bilateral trade volume coming to $14.13 million. The two countries' trade volume

July 18, 2021

N. Korea warns youth against adopting foreign speaking habits, lifestyles

North Korea's official newspaper on Sunday called on younger generations to speak the country's own standard language and follow traditional lifestyles, amid the regime's crackdown on language expressions widely used in South Korea. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's ruling Worker's Party, made the appeal in an article, saying, "The ideological and cultural penetration under the colorful colored signboard of the bourgeoisie is even more dangerous than enemies who are taking guns.&q

July 18, 2021

[Weekender] Why is Kim Jong-un clamping down on millennials, K-pop and slang?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has a new concern: how to control the country’s younger generation. The 37-year-old leader warned in April that “a serious change” was taking place in the “ideological and mental state” of young North Koreans, and that their ideological education was vital to the survival of the party and the country. Furthermore, the reclusive regime has been cracking down hard on the attire, speaking habits and culture of North Korean millennia

July 17, 2021

Only 2 NK defectors arrive in S. Korea in Q2, lowest ever

Only two North Korean defectors arrived in South Korea in the second quarter, the lowest number ever since the government began compiling quarterly defector data in 2003, the unification ministry said Friday. The number of incoming defectors has gradually decreased since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic due to restrictions on cross-border movements, dropping significantly to 12 in last year's second quarter from 135 in the previous quarter. The figure stood at 48 defectors in the third qu

July 16, 2021

NK propaganda outlets decry calls to abolish gender ministry, keeps mum on scrapping unification ministry

North Korean propaganda outlets slammed the head of South Korea's main opposition party Wednesday for calling for the abolition of the gender equality ministry but stayed mum on a more relevant issue of his call for scrapping the unification ministry. Earlier, Lee Jun-seok, chairman of the People Power Party, called for the abolishment of the gender equality and unification ministries, claiming they have outlived their lifespans or had no role to play from the beginning. Meari, a North Korean

July 14, 2021

N. Korea says its food production down to 10-year low in 2018

North Korea has reported to the United Nations that its food production dropped to the lowest level in 10 years in 2018 due to natural disasters, lack of farming materials and low levels of mechanization. According to its Voluntary National Review (VNR) report submitted to the UN, the North also admitted that it failed to achieve its national target of producing 7 million tons of food. VNR is a process through which to assess progress among member countries in their efforts to achieve the UN S

July 14, 2021

UN says 42 percent of North Koreans undernourished

Around 42 percent of North Koreans were undernourished last year, a UN report said Tuesday, as the impoverished nation faces acute food insecurity amid the prolonged pandemic and severe weather conditions, compounded by international sanctions. 　 As many as 10.9 million people in North Korea, or 42.24 percent of the population, were undernourished from 2018 to 2020, according to the report jointly published by five UN agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Pr

July 13, 2021

NK propaganda website warns S. Korea against staging joint military drill with US

A North Korean propaganda outlet on Tuesday warned South Korea against pushing ahead with its planned joint military drill with the United States, saying that war exercises and peace cannot go hand in hand. Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda website, issued the warning as South Korea and the US are expected to hold the joint military drill in August. Seoul's defense ministry earlier said that the allies are discussing when and how to stage their annual summertime military exercise. "

July 13, 2021

N. Korea reports no coronavirus cases: WHO report

North Korea has conducted coronavirus tests on around 35,000 people so far but found no infections, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday, amid the global spread of the more contagious delta variant. According to the WHO's weekly report on COVID-19, 718 North Koreans underwent virus tests from June 25 to July 1, bringing the total number of tested citizens to 32,512, but none were found to have been infected. Of the 718 newly tested citizens, 127 people with symptoms turned out to b

July 13, 2021