The family of Lee Dae-jun, a fisheries official killed by North Korean soldiers at sea in 2020, on Thursday called for arresting former President Moon Jae-in’s spy chief, Park Jie-won, who is already facing a criminal investigation after he was reported by the National Intelligence Service to the prosecutors. The NIS on Wednesday filed a criminal report against Park, who served as its director...

More than 40 percent of North Koreans are undernourished, a UN report showed Thursday amid concerns of food security in the impoverished country. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022 report co-published by UN agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Children's Fund and the World Food Programme, the prevalence of undernourishment among N...

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held the first-ever workshop to strengthen the "monolithic" leadership of the ruling Workers' Party, state media reported Thursday, in his latest move aimed at tightening internal discipline. The workshop, the first of its kind, was held from July 2-6 at the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang for officials in the party life guidance sections of organizational ...

North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases dropped below 2,000, according to its state media Thursday. More than 1,950 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the state-run Korean Central Broadcasting Station said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It did not provide information on whether additional deaths have b...

The National Intelligence Service on Wednesday filed a criminal report against its former chiefs Park Jie-won and Suh Hoon, alleging abuses of power in two high-profile cases involving North Korea. In a message to reporters, the NIS said it reported Park, who served as its director from July 2020 until Moon Jae-in’s term as president ended in May, to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office after an in...

A body found Tuesday in an estuary of the Han River just south of the border with North Korea may have floated from North Korea, police here said Wednesday. The body, presumed to be a boy around 10 years old, was recovered at the estuary in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, just 9 kilometers from the Military Demarcation Line. It is where Han River meets the West Sea. When the body was recovered, the d...

North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases remained below 3,000 for the second consecutive day, according to its state media Wednesday. More than 2,140 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. In its first release of the death toll in t...

North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases dropped below 3,000, according to its state media Tuesday. More than 2,500 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It did not provide information on whether additional deaths have been reporte...

Meanwhile, Lee family lawyer Kim Ki-yun on Monday filed for the Board of Audit and Inspection to look into what was communicated to the search squad by the presidential office and the government during the hours the official would still have been alive. “We need to find out if and when Cheong Wa Dae and the Defense Ministry informed the search-and-rescue team about Lee’s exact location and the t...

N. Korea beefing up antivirus measures in border areas after major announcement

In recent weeks, the Korean Peninsula had two situations going on in the South and North. South Korea was holding its first summit on May 21 with US President Joe Biden in Seoul, just 10 days after President Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration. The two leaders agreed on escalating the alliance into a “Global Comprehensive Strategic Alliance.” South Korea has decided to cooperate with the US in high-tech...

North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases stayed below 4,000 for the second consecutive day, its state media said Monday. More than 3,030 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It did not provide information on whether additional dea...

North Korea lambasted South Korea, the United States and Japan on Sunday for their move to strengthen trilateral security cooperation highlighted in a rare group summit of their leaders last week. Pyongyang's foreign ministry strongly condemned discussions on three-way military drills that President Yoon Suk-yeol held with his American and Japanese counterparts -- Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida -- ...

North seeks to blame S. Korea, may set tone for offensive campaign, experts say

Unification Ministry expresses regret at water release despite S. Korea’s request