Most Popular
-
1
[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
-
2
Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
-
3
Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
-
4
Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
-
5
Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
-
6
Civil servant’s death linked to workplace bullying
-
7
[Weekender] Walk around Korea to really get to know the country
-
8
[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
-
9
Hanwha, HD Hyundai vie for Poland’s $2.7b submarine program
-
10
[Photo News] Rallying against LGBTQ+
-
Unification minister urges review of negative impact of sanctions
Unification Minister Lee In-young called Friday for efforts to ensure that international sanctions on Pyongyang do not result in unintended negativec effects on the lives of ordinary North Korean people. "We need to assess how effective sanctions have been on the desired goal of denuclearization five years since they were imposed," Lee said in an interview with the Financial Times, according to a Korean-language release from his ministry. "If the lives of North Koreans have wors
Feb. 26, 2021
-
US court orders NK to pay $2.3b in damages to USS Pueblo crew
A US federal court ordered North Korea to pay over $2.3 billion in damages to the crew and their families of the naval spy ship USS Pueblo, for torturing them for 11 months upon capturing the vessel in 1968 in the East Sea. It is the most in damages a US court has ordered North Korea to pay, raising the chances of further US actions to seize North Korea-related assets overseas in a bid to collect damages from the destitute country. The Washington court said in its decision handed down on Feb.
Feb. 26, 2021
-
NK Cabinet reviews ways to grant businesses more autonomy at plenary session
North Korea convened an extended plenary session of its Cabinet to discuss ways to give businesses greater independence as part of efforts to achieve the economic goals set forth at last month's rare party congress, state media said Friday. The Cabinet meeting took place Thursday via a "teleconference system" to discuss a series of important tasks set forth at the party congress and the following parliamentary session, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. At Thurs
Feb. 26, 2021
-
NK firm files lawsuit to collect payment from S. Korean company
A North Korean firm filed a lawsuit against a South Korean company in 2019 to claim payment related to a business deal, sources here said Thursday, a rare legal battle between businesses from the two Koreas. The company affiliated with Pyongyang's national economic cooperation federation filed the suit with the Seoul Central District Court seeking 5.3 billion won ($4.7 million) for its alleged unpaid supply, according to the sources. Their names have not been made available. The North Korean
Feb. 25, 2021
-
Upcoming military exercise with US should be postponed or halted: expert
South Korea should put off or suspend its combined springtime military exercise with the United States as part of efforts to improve inter-Korean relations, a researcher at a state-run think tank said Thursday. Kim Sang-ki, a researcher at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), made the point in a report amid concern that the joint exercise, expected to take place next month, could provide North Korea with a pretext for provocations. "It is necessary to postpone th
Feb. 25, 2021
-
US experts stress need to address human rights issues in normalization talks with N. Korea
Leading experts on North Korea underscored the need Thursday to address Pyongyang's human rights issues should Washington engage in talks on the normalization of relations between the two countries. Speaking at a virtual forum on peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, Robert Gallucci, former US nuclear negotiator, and Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, made the point, as the administration of US President Joe Biden is intent on reasserting America's r
Feb. 25, 2021
-
Unification minister renews calls for individual tourism to NK
Unification Minister Lee In-young said Thursday the government will push to resume long-suspended tours to North Korea on an individual basis as soon as the pandemic eases, saying it is "the best way to break the boundaries" between South and North Koreans. "There are still many South Koreans who wish to visit Mount Kumgang though it has been over 10 years since its suspension," he said, pointing out that such exchanges can help restore "national homogeneity." &qu
Feb. 25, 2021
-
NK leader presides over key party meeting to discuss discipline among military officials
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over a Central Military Commission meeting to urge disciple among military officials and stricter control over younger officers, state media reported Thursday. At the expanded military commission meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on Wednesday, Kim stressed the importance of establishing "revolutionary moral discipline" particularly among the younger generation in the army, according to the Korean Central News Agency. "To establish the
Feb. 25, 2021
-
Sanctions relief unlikely without show of 'good faith' by N. Korea: US lawmaker
The United States will unlikely ease or remove its sanctions on North Korea unless Pyongyang first makes a move to show its good faith, a US lawmaker said Wednesday. Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-NY) argued North Korean leader Kim Jong-un cannot be trusted and therefore the new Biden administration must become "more strategic" in dealing with the North. "I don't think that there's going to be sanction relief in the short term. I think there will have to be some sort of action by the Nor
Feb. 25, 2021
-
NK failed to meet previous five-year economic goals due to investment in ineffective industries: expert
North Korea failed to meet its previous five-year economic goals due to its dependence on heavy industries amid crippling sanctions, a researcher at a state-run think tank said Wednesday. Kim Seok-jin, a researcher at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), cited the North's investment strategies in rebuilding the heavy industries and the following chronic power shortage as the main reasons for its failure in achieving the five-year economic goal. In 2016, North Korea pu
Feb. 24, 2021
-
Why North Korea replaced its ambassador to China after 11 years
North Korea recently appointed a former trade minister as its new ambassador to China, entrusting him with the crucial mission of reviving trade with the country’s closest ally amid deepening COVID-19 woes. According to the North’s Foreign Ministry on Feb. 19, Ri Ryong-nam, 61, will be replacing Ji Jae-ryong, 79, who has served as the top envoy to Beijing since 2010. Ri served as trade minister from 2008 to 2016, during which time the Trade Ministry was renamed the External Econo
Feb. 24, 2021
-
[Graphic News] N. Korea ranks lowest in world democracy index: poll
North Korea ranked the lowest in a world democracy index last year for the 16th consecutive year, a recent report showed. North Korea placed at the bottom among the 167 countries polled, with an overall score of 1.08 out of a total of 10, according to the Democracy Index 2020 published by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the research division of the British weekly The Economist. The North has ranked the lowest in the EIU index since the agency began compiling the data in 2006. South K
Feb. 24, 2021
-
NK paper warns against relying on outside help to achieve five-year economic plan
North Korea's official newspaper on Wednesday called for greater efforts to realize a self-reliant economy without outside help amid struggles to accomplish key goals unveiled in a rare party meeting last month. "When we face difficulties in the process of achieving our tasks, we must not depend on help from outside or from the top but rather solve the problems in close cooperation with the production, research and development sector," the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the North's rulin
Feb. 24, 2021
-
N. Korea to convene labor union congress to lend support to party decisions
North Korea will convene a congress of the country's largest labor union in May for the first time in about five years to lend support to the decisions and plans unveiled by last month's congress of the ruling Workers' Party, state media said Wednesday. At the congress of the Workers' Party in early January, the North unveiled a new five-year economic development plan with a focus on self-reliance and other policy directions against the coronavirus pandemic and global sanctions on its regime.
Feb. 24, 2021
-
US remains focused on NK denuclearization: Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday reaffirmed the US position that the country would continue to focus on North Korea’s denuclearization and closely cooperate with its allies and partners. He briefly mentioned North Korea during a speech at the United Nations-sponsored Conference on Disarmament, where he also said the US would demand greater transparency from China on its weapons development program. During the prerecorded speech, Blinken warned against Russia, referring to i
Feb. 23, 2021
-
Unification minister renews calls for inter-Korean response system against infectious diseases
Unification Minister Lee In-young renewed calls Tuesday for building a joint response system with North Korea against infectious diseases to better cope with growing threats from global pandemics. Lee made the remarks during a seminar on inter-Korean cooperation in public health, noting that creating a joint system does not necessarily mean providing unilateral help to Pyongyang but is also a way of protecting "oneself and one's family." "South and North Korea must resume buildi
Feb. 23, 2021
-
WFP could cease operations in N. Korea this year due to pandemic
The World Food Programme (WFP) could suspend its operations in North Korea this year as restrictions on imports remain in place due the coronavirus pandemic, a report on its website showed Tuesday. According to the report, the UN aid agency has continued to be faced with difficulties in deploying its staff in the North, with its physical monitoring activities being curtailed for a prolonged period of time. "Pandemic-related restrictions do not ease and food imports, international staff de
Feb. 23, 2021
-
NK steelmaking workers urge nationwide efforts to ramp up production
Workers at a major steel plant in North Korea held a rally to firm up their commitment to meet their production target and call for nationwide efforts to achieve the first-year goal of the country's five-year economic development scheme, state media reported Tuesday. The rally held Monday at the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex came after leader Kim Jong-un criticized officials at a recent party meeting for showing "passive and self-protecting tendencies" in setting this year's goals a
Feb. 23, 2021
-
Unification minister calls for early resumption of inter-Korean dictionary project
Unification Minister Lee In-young called Monday for efforts to restart a long-suspended project to compile a unified Korean-language dictionary with North Korea, saying it will be a "firm step" toward unification. Lee made the remarks during his virtual speech at a forum on the inter-Korean project, urging for the early resumption of the project on the publication of a common Korean-language dictionary that began in 2005 as part of efforts to overcome language barriers between the two
Feb. 22, 2021
-
Unification ministry says defectors' testimonies 'valuable records' on NK human rights situation
The unification ministry said Monday that testimonies of North Korean defectors are "valuable records" that shed light on the human rights situation in their reclusive home country. On Sunday, four North Korean defectors said they will file a lawsuit against Unification Minister Lee In-young for defamation over his recent remarks casting doubt over what defectors said about human rights situations in the North. They claim that Lee has deemed defectors' testimonies as "untrustwor
Feb. 22, 2021