N. Korea holds parliamentary meeting amid coronavirus pandemic

North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament held a session Sunday, two days later than scheduled, the country’s state media reported Monday. 　 The 14th Supreme People’s Assembly gathered for a third session in Pyongyang. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was absent, so No. 2 leader Choe Ryong-hae chaired the parliamentary session, the Korea Central News Agency and Rodong Sinmun reported. While Kim’s attendance is not required at the Assembly, he has often appeared in the past a

April 13, 2020

N. Korea increases budget for health, construction projects amid anti-virus efforts

North Korea has increased its health budget for this year and set aside nearly half of the total spending plans for economic construction projects amid efforts to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus in an economy faltering under global sanctions. During a session of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) in Pyongyang on Sunday, the North forecast that its revenue will grow 4.2 percent on-year this year with its expenditures projected to increase 6 percent over the same period, the official Kor

April 13, 2020

NK holds parliamentary meeting two days later than scheduled without explanation

  North Korea has held a long-anticipated session of its rubber-stamp legislature two days later than originally scheduled, state media reported Monday without explaining why the meeting was delayed. Leader Kim Jong-un apparently did not attend the Supreme People's Assembly meeting held Sunday as the official Korean Central News Agency said the country's No. 2 leader, Choe Ryong-hae, presided over the session. The SPA session had originally been scheduled to take place on Friday. But the

April 13, 2020

Kim Jong-un reinstates sister to Politburo, calls for stricter coronavirus measures

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reinstated his sister as an alternate member of the Politburo, the ruling party’s top policymaking body, at its meeting Saturday, the North’s state media said Sunday. 　 The Worker’s Party meeting also addressed countermeasures to COVID-19, other personnel reshuffles and organizational matters, according to the Korea Central News Agency. 　 A joint resolution was adopted to take “more thorough state measures to protect life and safety of o

April 12, 2020

NK leader Kim inspects air defense unit

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected an air defense unit, state media said Sunday, in his latest step apparently aimed at tightening troop discipline and readiness amid new coronavirus fears. Kim visited a pursuit assault plane group under the Air and Anti-Aircraft Division in the western area to check its performance of aerial defense, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said without mentioning when his visit took place. "Kim Jong Un learned about the readiness for s

April 12, 2020

NK leader holds politburo meeting to discuss anti-virus measures

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has presided over a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, discussing anti-coronavirus measures and electing his sister as an alternate member of the bureau, state media said Sunday. The politburo meeting held on Saturday suggests that a key session of the country's rubber-stamp legislature Supreme People's Assembly, which was supposed to take place on Friday, has been postponed for unclear reasons because a politburo meeting usually takes place

April 12, 2020

US flies surveillance plane over Korean Peninsula

A US spy aircraft has flown over South Korea, an aviation tracker said Friday, on an apparent mission to monitor North Korea. The US Air Force's RC-135W Rivet Joint was spotted in skies above South Korea, Aircraft Spots tweeted, without giving details on the time of its operation. The aviation tracker also said Saturday and Tuesday the same type of the aircraft was detected over the Korean Peninsula. The operation came as the North was to hold a key meeting of the country's rubber-stamp par

April 10, 2020

NK set to hold parliamentary meeting amid nationwide virus fight

North Korea's rubber-stamp legislature was to hold a once-or-twice-a-year session on Friday, with economic and public health issues expected to take center stage amid its ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus. The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) usually meets in April every year to address the state budget and Cabinet reshuffling, but it has been closely watched from outside for any glimpse into the reclusive state's stance on foreign affairs, including its stance on denuclearization tal

April 10, 2020

NK leader supervises mortar firing drill ahead of major

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen a mortar firing drill, state media reported Friday, ahead of a key meeting of the country's rubber-stamp legislature to be watched closely for any message to the United States. Kim's attendance in the exercise suggests that a politburo or a plenary meeting of the country's ruling Workers' Party, which used to be held on the eve of a Supreme People's Assembly session, did not take place, and therefore, Friday's SPA meeting may not lead to significant

April 10, 2020

N. Korea at risk of food shortage due to virus pandemic: WFP

North Korea is among the 49 countries that are at high risk of food shortage and poverty due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the United Nation’s World Food Program said Thursday. 　 In its report, titled “COVID-19: Potential Impact on the World’s Poorest People,” the WFP analyzed the economic and food security implications of the pandemic, stressing “for many poor countries, the economic consequences will be more devastating than the disease itself.” 　 Th

April 9, 2020

Dummy missile test suspected at NK shipyard: report

North Korea may have tested dummy missiles at its Sinpo South Shipyard along its east coast recently, Washington-based website 38 North said Wednesday, citing commercial satellite images. The group monitors North Korea. Four unidentified objects were lined up next to the ejection pad, and the service tower on the pad looked operational, with vehicles lined up next to it. The images suggested the North tested dummy missiles, the group said. But the group was unsure whether Pyongyang had c

April 9, 2020

UNICEF raises NK aid budget by $3m to $22.5m

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said it has set this year's budget for North Korea aid projects at $22.5 million, up about $3 million from last year. "Prolonged dry spells, flooding and limited agricultural inputs, which led to increased food insecurity in 2019, will likely persist in 2020," UNICEF said in its "Humanitarian Action for Children 2020" report, calling for further external aid to assist North Koreans. The report said 10.4 million people in North Ko

April 9, 2020

N. Korea's main paper highlights late leader Kim Jong-il's achievements on anniversary

North Korea's main newspaper highlighted the accomplishments of late leader Kim Jong-il on the 27th anniversary of his 1993 assumption of power Thursday, urging people to build on such feats to make the communist nation more powerful and prosperous. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's ruling Workers' Party, carried the message in an editorial, saying the late father of the current leader Kim Jong-un contributed greatly to advancing the country's self-reliant defense industry. "Com

April 9, 2020

Economic, health issues likely to take center stage at NK parliamentary meeting amid virus fight: experts

Economic and domestic issues are expected to take center stage at North Korea's major parliamentary meeting this week, amid the ongoing fight against the new coronavirus and concerns over the fallout from the pandemic, experts said Thursday. The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), the North's rubber-stamp parliament, is to meet on Friday. It usually holds a plenary session every April, mostly to deal with the state budget and Cabinet reshuffle. Such meetings have been closely monitored abroad fo

April 9, 2020

North Korea claims to be virus-free: report

North Korea continues to insist it has no confirmed cases of coronavirus infection, despite mounting skepticism while the global pandemic is spreading. 　 The reclusive nation has tested 709 people -- 11 foreigners and 698 North Koreans -- for COVID-19, with no positive test results, according to Reuters on Tuesday, citing the North’s weekly updates submitted to the World Health Organization. 　 It said the country has the capacity to test for the virus at its national reference laborator

April 8, 2020

Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, Japan hold phone talks over NK denuclearization

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan held phone talks Wednesday over the North Korean nuclear issue and security situation on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said. The conversation between Lee Do-hoon and his Japanese counterpart, Shigeki Takizaki, came amid concerns that the global fight against the new coronavirus could overshadow the efforts to denuclearize North Korea and lay the groundwork for lasting peace on the peninsula. "The two sides agreed to continue cl

April 8, 2020

US aid group sends medical equipment to N. Korea

A US aid group has sent medical and rehabilitation equipment to North Korea for the treatment of people with pediatric development disabilities, according to the website of its co-founder. IGNIS Community sent a cargo ship last week from the Chinese coastal city of Dalian to the North's western port city of Nampo carrying medical treatment beds, pediatric therapeutic equipment and other items, Joy Yoon said in a statement on the website. "The medical equipment is scheduled to arrive in P

April 8, 2020

N. Korea's main paper calls for eradication of illegal economic activities

North Korea's main newspaper on Wednesday called for rooting out embezzlement and other illegal economic activities amid the country's efforts to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus. Pyongyang's state media outlets have emphasized the importance of self-reliance and "frontal breakthrough" frequently since leader Kim Jong-un said in December that he expects no easing in sanctions from the United States and called for a "frontal breakthrough" to tackle challenges. "A

April 8, 2020

N. Korea completes basic evacuation work for hospital construction in Pyongyang

North Korea has completed initial evacuation work for the construction of a general hospital in Pyongyang, only about 20 days after ground was broken for the project, state media reported Wednesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has shown much interest in the Pyongyang General Hospital project, attending its groundbreaking ceremony on March 17 and ordering construction be completed by Oct. 10, the 75th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party. "We have made achievements in com

April 8, 2020

N. Korea to convene parliamentary meeting Friday amid coronavirus outbreak

North Korea is set to convene a session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, the country’s rubber-stamp parliament, on Friday, spawning speculation about what message it will deliver amid the global novel coronavirus pandemic.  It will be the 14th SPA’s third session, following the last in August. Around 700 officials will arrive in the capital for the meeting, during which the North revises its constitution, reviews the budget and conducts personnel reshuffles, among othe

April 7, 2020