S. Korea slaps more unilateral sanctions on N. Korea after ICBM launch

South Korea on Friday imposed unilateral sanctions on four North Korean individuals and three entities in response to Pyongyang's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile earlier this week, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The move came two days after North Korea test-fired a Hwasong-18 solid-fuel ICBM under the guidance of leader Kim Jong-un despite international condemnation over its recent missile launches. "In response to North Korea's long-range ballistic missile la

July 14, 2023

S. Korea, US stage air drills, involving B-52H strategic bomber after NK ICBM launch

South Korea and the United States conducted combined air drills, involving at least one US B-52H strategic bomber, over the Korean Peninsula on Thursday, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, a day after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile. The North's state media has confirmed the country fired a solid-fuel Hwasong-18 ICBM on Wednesday, raising tensions already heightened by the North's accusations earlier this week claiming US military spy aircraft "intrud

July 13, 2023

North Korea's newest smartphone 'Samtaesong 8' mirrors Samsung Galaxy phones

A new North Korean smartphone bearing a resemblance to Samsung smartphones called the Samtaesong 8 was recently featured on the North's state-run Korean Central Television. The phone made its first appearance in a program that promoted the proper and safe usage of smartphones. According to the North's Korean dictionary, "samtaesong" refers to the "three bright stars" - North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, his wife Kim Jong-suk and his son Kim Jong-il - of their alleged

July 13, 2023

NK says ICBM firing a strong warning to S. Korea, US

While admitting to launching the newly developed Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile, North Korea on Thursday said the latest missile test the day before was carried out to convey a "strong practical warning" to its adversaries. The Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea made the "strategic judgment and crucial decision" to conduct on Wednesday the second test-firing of the Hwasong-18 solid-fuel ICBM, according to North Korean state-r

July 13, 2023

Campbell gives emergency security briefing to ruling party delegation after NK missile launch

White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell gave an emergency security briefing to a delegation of South Korea's ruling People Power Party in Washington after North Korea's latest long-range missile launch, lawmakers said. On Wednesday, Pyongyang fired a Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile into the East Sea, the first launch in about three months, demonstrating significant progress in its pursuit of long-range nuclear missiles capable of reaching the United

July 13, 2023

N. Korea fires ICBM ahead of Yoon-Kishida summit at NATO

North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile off its eastern coast toward Japan on Wednesday morning, when the leaders of South Korea and Japan were set to hold a separate summit later in the day on the sidelines of a NATO summit. The intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, was fired from the area of the capital city of Pyongyang toward the East Sea at around 10 a.m., South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The missile was fired at a lofted angle and traveled around 1,000 kilome

July 12, 2023

Yoon decries NK provocations, urges stronger security with NATO

VILNIUS, Lithuania/SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned North Korea's latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch and urged a stronger collective message from NATO in a summit held Wednesday in Vilnius, Lithuania. Yoon decried the launch as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a threat to global peace, calling on the international community to stand firmly against such provocations. Hours before the summit of NATO and its partners, North Korea launched

July 12, 2023

Kim Yo-jong's reference to South as 'Republic of Korea' may indicate change

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday referred to Seoul as the "Republic of Korea," South Korea's official name, in two statements, signaling a change in its decadeslong strategy to unify the Korean Peninsula under North Korea's lead, according to observers. The name change in Kim Yo-jong's statements -- which were issued in both Korean and English -- may indicate that Pyongyang has started to recognize Seoul as a separate state in a hostil

July 11, 2023

[Graphic News] 16,000 died awaiting reunions with cross-border family in 5 years

Approximately 16,000 elderly South Koreans are presumed to have died over the past five years while awaiting reunions with family members in North Korea who were separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, data showed. According to data from the Unification Ministry, around 3,400 to 3,700 people have died every year since August 2018, when the last face-to-face family reunion event was held, with the estimated total number of deaths coming to around 16,000. The data was released by Rep. Yang Kyung-sook

July 11, 2023

Kim Yo-jong claims US reconnaissance aircraft intruded in N. Korean airspace

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on Monday claimed US reconnaissance aircraft intruded in the country's airspace. Kim issued a statement alleging that a US spy aircraft intruded in the North's eastern airspace twice at around 5 a.m. and 8:50 a.m., respectively, on the same day. In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, she said the US is "engaging in a serious military provocation by conducting aerial surveillance." Kim Yo-j

July 10, 2023

Amid declining number of NK defectors, Hanawon turns to vocational training

ANSEONG, Gyeonggi Province – Hanawon has proactively expanded its primary role by offering a diverse array of vocational training programs in order to empower North Korean defectors and equip them with the skills necessary to pursue in-demand careers as baristas, estheticians, manicurists and pet groomers. Before embarking on their journey of assimilation in South Korea, a destination once distant but deeply yearned for, every North Korean defector must pass through a crucial checkpoint: t

July 10, 2023

N. Korea slams US reconnaissance aircraft for intruding in airspace

North Korea on Monday accused US spy aircraft of intruding in its airspace recently, warning that there is no guarantee that such aircraft will not be shot down, state media reported. A spokesperson for North Korea's defense ministry claimed "provocative" flights were made by US reconnaissance aircraft, such as the RC-135, the U-2S and the RQ-4B, over the East Sea and the Yellow Sea from July 2 to Sunday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. "Especially in th

July 10, 2023

N. Korea's mask imports from China plunge 78% in May

North Korea's mask imports from China tumbled 78 percent in May from a month earlier, trade data showed Sunday, as it appears to have recently eased strict COVID-19 restrictions. The North's mask imports from China stood at $28,746 in May, the lowest level in seven months, according to the trade data by China Customs Statistics. Pyongyang's mask imports from China began at $523 in August 2022 and peaked at $385,887 in October, but the trade volume has steadily decreased to $198,96

July 9, 2023

NK students take top spots in hacking contest by US firm

North Korean university students swept top places at a hacking contest run by US-based software company HackerEarth in May, US broadcaster Radio Free Asia said on Thursday. Students of the Kim Chaek University of Technology won first, third and fourth places with perfect scores in a coding marathon for developers called May Circuits 2023 in which some 1,700 people participated. A student of the Kim Il Sung University won second place. Another Kim Chaek student finished 10th. The HackerEarth webs

July 7, 2023

S. Korea to introduce anti-drone defense system at key military, govt. facilities

S. Korea plans to introduce an integrated defense system to counter hostile unmanned aircraft at key military and government facilities for the first time, officials said Thursday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration recently put up a notice for the 48.5 billion-won ($37.2 million) project on its procurement website as Seoul has sought to bolster anti-drone capabilities after N. Korea's drone incursions late last year. Under the project, DAPA seeks to purchase the counter-drone s

July 6, 2023

N. Korea discusses economic plans in follow-up measures after key party meeting

N. Korea held a Cabinet meeting earlier this week to review economic plans in the first half of the year and discuss follow-up measures for policy goals put forth in a recent key party meeting, state media said Thursday. Last month, Pyongyang held a plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, attended by leader Kim Jong-un, to discuss key agenda items, including economic policy. Premier Kim Tok-hun presided over the videoconference meeting Wednesday,

July 6, 2023

Reports suggest COVID-19 mask rule lifted in NK

North Korean state media reports suggest that the country has lifted its COVID-19 mask mandate across the country, effective from this month. The state-run Korean Central Television, primarily catering to North Korean audiences, began broadcasting news showing people working at factories and going about their daily lives mask-free on Sunday. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, also began featuring photographs of unmasked North Korean people on Monday. Six indi

July 4, 2023

Unification Ministry to shift focus to N.Korean human rights

The Yoon Suk Yeol government is seeking to restructure the Unification Ministry to focus on human rights issues in North Korea and analysis of the Kim Jong-un regime, de-emphasizing its role of facilitating inter-Korean dialogue and other projects aimed at the reconciliation of the two Koreas. Yoon, following his unconventional, concurrent appointments of a hard-liner on Pyongyang as the minister and a veteran diplomat as the vice minister, reiterated on Sunday that the ministry should not prima

July 3, 2023

Hyundai Group chief withdraws application to visit Kumgangsan after N. Korea's refusal

The chief of South Korea's Hyundai Group has withdrawn an application to visit North Korea's Mount Kumgang, after the North said it has "no intention to examine" the application, an official at Seoul's unification ministry said Monday. Hyun Jeong-eun, chairwoman of Hyundai Group, which had run sightseeing programs at the North Korean mountain, had been seeking to visit the North in August to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of her husband and former chairman of the

July 3, 2023

Pyongyang renovates N. Korea-China friendship tower ahead of armistice anniversary

North Korea has completed the renovation of a tower symbolizing its friendship with China as the 70th anniversary of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War approaches, the North's state media said Thursday. A ceremony marking the completion of the project, which was carried out upon North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's order, took place in Pyongyang on Wednesday, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency. The event came as the North has been seeking to str

June 29, 2023