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

Yoon pledges to expeditiously restore, develop S. Korea-Japan relations

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

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

　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

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

N. Korea’s ruling party sent a ‘solidarity letter’ to Chinese Communist Party on the day of S. Korea-China foreign ministerial talks

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

N. Korea’s Lazarus Group exploited Tornado Cash to launder over $455 million from largest-ever crypto heist

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

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

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

Pyongyang to hold another nationwide meeting to set a new direction for anti-epidemic policy in early August

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

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