Govt. to create condition for N. Korea to accept 'audacious' offers, minister says

The Yoon Suk-yeol administration will strive to create a condition for North Korea to embrace the "audacious initiative" intended to support its economic development for its denuclearization steps, Seoul's point man on Pyongyang told lawmakers Thursday. Unification Minister Kwon Young-se said the government plans to send more specific messages to the North, going forward, and have related consultations with such other major countries concerned as the United States and China. In hi

Aug. 18, 2022

N. Korean hackers steal $1b in crypto from DeFi protocols this year: report

North Korea-affiliated hacking groups stole around $1 billion worth of cryptocurrency just from decentralized-finance protocols in the first seven months of this year, a US blockchain analysis firm said Tuesday. Cryptocurrency theft by North Korean hackers accounted for more than 50 percent of the total losses arising from cryptocurrency hacks, according to an online report released by blockchain data platform Chainalysis. Stolen cryptocurrency in hacks of various services amounted to $1.9 b

Aug. 17, 2022

N.Korea fires 2 suspected cruise missiles on Yoon’s 100th day in office

North Korea fired two suspected cruise missiles from South Pyongan Province toward the western sea on Wednesday early morning as South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol marked his 100th day in office. “North Korea is presumed to have launched two cruise missiles near Onchon County, South Pyongan Province early this morning,” a South Korean military official told reporters on condition of anonymity, without sharing further details including flight distance and time. “Our militar

Aug. 17, 2022

UN panel OKs sanctions waiver for US civic group's aid to N. Korea

A United Nations Security Council committee on North Korea sanctions has approved a sanctions exemption for a US-based aid group to send spine-related rehabilitation equipment to the impoverished country, its website showed Wednesday. Under the decision, Ignis Community will be exempt from UN sanctions to send medical and rehabilitation equipment for the Pyongyang Spine and Rehabilitation Centre. The equipment, which includes decompression tables, treadmills and electric hospital beds, is worth

Aug. 17, 2022

Nuclear cooperation between N. Korea, Iran concerning: State Dept.

Any nuclear cooperation between North Korea and Iran is concerning, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday, calling the two countries the "most acute proliferation threats." State Department Press Secretary Ned Price also noted the countries have a history of violating international norms. "We have released information on this. Some of this information has been reportedly publicly as well," the spokesperson said when asked about possible nuclear cooperation between Pyon

Aug. 17, 2022

N. Korea urges continued antivirus efforts despite self-claimed win over COVID-19

North Korea on Tuesday urged its people not to let their guard down against COVID-19, having claimed victory last week in its fight against the pandemic. On Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convened a national meeting, reviewed the virus situation and ordered the lifting of the country's "maximum emergency anti-epidemic" measures, three months after the nation reported the first confirmed case. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party, called on the N

Aug. 16, 2022

Yoon proposes ‘audacious’ road map for North Korea’s denuclearization

South Korea’s president on Monday proposed an “audacious initiative” to provide economic compensation in return for North Korea’s “substantive process for denuclearization.” President Yoon Suk-yeol reiterated the significance and legitimacy of achieving North Korea’s denuclearization in his speech marking Korea’s 77th National Liberation Day on Aug. 15. “Peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia is an important prerequisite for w

Aug. 15, 2022

NK uses Liberation Day as another opportunity to call for loyalty for the Kims

North Korea used Liberation Day, the day that marks liberation from Japan’s occupation, to highlight the importance of loyalty to the ruling Kim family. The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s state-run newspaper, wrote in an editorial published Monday, “All of the people and the soldiers of the People‘s Army should be true revolutionaries who accept the ideas and leadership of Kim Jong-un as their actions in any adversity.” Describing the independence fighters who resi

Aug. 15, 2022

N. Korea moves toward pre-pandemic normalcy after declaring victory in COVID-19 fight

North Korea has lifted a face mask mandate and eased antivirus curbs as the communist state moves toward normalcy after declaring victory in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, state media reported Saturday. 　Earlier this week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared victory in his country‘s emergency campaign against COVID-19, three months after the nation first reported the COVID-19 outbreak. 　According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a face mask mandate and

Aug. 13, 2022

NK leader’s sister blames Seoul for COVID-19, threatens ‘extermination’

　Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on Wednesday blamed South Korea for the COVID-19 outbreak in the North, and threatened the “extermination” of South Korean authorities. 　According to the North’s Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo-jong blamed “unusual objects” of South Korean origin -- anti-North Korea leaflets sent from the South -- for COVID-19 outbreaks in North Korea at a disease control meeting presided over by her brother. 　&ldqu

Aug. 11, 2022

NK leader declares victory in fight against COVID-19: state media

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared victory in his country's emergency campaign against COVID-19, state media reported Thursday. Kim made the announcement during a national meeting on anti-epidemic measures he presided over the previous day, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). He "solemnly declared the victory in the maximum emergency anti-epidemic campaign for exterminating the novel coronavirus that had made inroads into our territory and protecting the l

Aug. 11, 2022

N. Korea pledges to fully support China’s resolution on Taiwan, denounces Pelosi’s trip

North Korea’s ruling party condemned the US House speaker’s recent visit to Taiwan as a “grave threat to regional peace and stability,” pledging to provide unwavering and full support to China’s resolution on the Taiwan issue. The Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea sent a “solidarity letter on the Taiwan issue” to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Tuesday, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said Wednesda

Aug. 10, 2022

N. Korea reports no new suspected COVID-19 cases for 12th day: state media

North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases have remained at zero for nearly two weeks, according to its state media Wednesday. No new fever cases were reported over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It did not provide any other information in its report. The North's daily fever tally hit zero on July 29 after peaking at over 392,920 on May 15. In a s

Aug. 10, 2022

US sanctions popular crypto mixer used by N. Korean hackers

The US Treasury Department on Monday sanctioned the popular cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash for alleged use by North Korea’s notorious hacker group and other actors to launder ill-gotten cryptocurrencies. The Tornado Cash mixer platform has been exploited by malicious cyber actors to launder more than $7 billion worth of proceeds from cybercrimes since its establishment in 2019, the Treasury Department announced in a statement. North Korea’s state-sponsored Lazarus Group was no

Aug. 9, 2022

N. Korea issues heavy rain alert for southern regions

North Korea issued a heavy rain alert across its southern regions, state media reported Tuesday, as downpours pounded Pyongyang and other areas earlier this week. The advisory was issued for regions in the southwestern provinces of North and South Hwanghae, some southern parts of the eastern Gangwon Province and the border city of Kaesong, according to the Korean Central Broadcasting Station. It said 50 to 80 millimeters of rain is forecast in those regions. On Monday, state media footage showed

Aug. 9, 2022

N. Korea reports no new suspected COVID-19 cases for 11th day: state media

North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases has remained at zero for over a week, according to its state media Tuesday. No new fever cases were reported over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It did not provide any other information in its report. The North's daily fever tally hit zero on July 29 after peaking at over 392,920 on May 15, three days aft

Aug. 9, 2022

N. Korea appears to release border dam water without prior notice: official

North Korea appears to be releasing water from a dam near the inter-Korean border without giving prior notice to the South, a South Korean government official said Monday, as the North is drenched by heavy downpours. 　 　“As rain has fallen heavily in North Korea, the North is repeatedly opening and closing the floodgates of Hwanggang Dam,” the unification ministry official said. “It seems (the North) is adjusting the Hwanggang Dam‘s water level based on the rainfall sit

Aug. 8, 2022

N. Korea’s parliament revises outer space law, plans key meeting before Foundation Day

North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament has revised and supplemented the space development act while announcing its plan to hold a full-scale meeting in early September in the run-up to its National Foundation Day. The decisions were made at the plenary meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly, held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang on Sunday. Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the Standing Committee of the SPA, presided over the meeting, the state-run

Aug. 8, 2022

N. Korea to hold meeting to review antivirus measures this month amid no new reported cases

North Korea will hold a national meeting this month to review anti-epidemic measures, state media said Monday, as its health authorities have reported no additional suspected COVID-19 cases for over a week. The North's Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party and the Cabinet decided to hold the session "early in August to review the successes, experience and lessons in the state emergency anti-epidemic work in a comprehensively way and confirm the new orientation of the anti

Aug. 8, 2022

North Korea says Yoon’s ‘audacious plan’ is rehashed ‘waste’

North Korea bashed the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s North Korea policy, likening the “audacious plan” which offers economic benefits in exchange for denuclearization as rehashed “trash” on Sunday. The Tongil Shinbo, a weekly North Korean publication, said Yoon’s “audacious plan” to offer significant economic benefits to the North if it abandons its nuclear program is only rehashing former president Lee Myung-bak’s North Korea policy, whi

Aug. 7, 2022