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

Cryptocurrency theft by N. Korea accounts for more than half of losses

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

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

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

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