N. Korean POW transfer was to remain confidential indefinitely: official

The Seoul-Kyiv agreement to keep the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war confidential was to be kept indefinitely to protect the soldiers and their families, a senior government official said Friday. The official said the government had never planned to publicly announce the transfer, stressing that confidentiality had been a central condition of the agreement between the countries. "We intended to keep it confidential until the very end, if possible," the official told reporters, on c

2026-10-02 15:23:06:00

Kim Jong-un pledges to elevate China ties to ‘new strategic level’ in letter to Xi

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to further deepen relations with China to a "new strategic level" in a message to Chinese President Xi Jinping marking China's National Day, state media reported Thursday, underscoring increasingly close ties between the two neighbors. Kim sent his "warmest congratulations and best wishes" to Xi and the Chinese people on the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, according to the Korean Central News Agency. In the message, Kim

2026-10-01 16:08:32:00

[Legal updates in Korea] New insurance mandate protects firefighters on the job

● Updated Law: Framework Act on Firefighting Services What it does: Requires liability coverage for damage arising from firefighters' activities and strengthens preparations for emergency response Took effect: Sept. 3 South Korea will require authorities to obtain liability coverage for damage arising from firefighters' activities in the field. Under the revised law, the commissioner of the National Fire Agency and provincial and metropolitan governors must obtain insurance or mutual aid coverag

2026-10-01 14:59:34:00

Unification Minister urges ‘fundamental solutions’ after DMZ mine blast

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Thursday called for a thorough investigation and appropriate measures in response to a recent land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone, while cautioning against politicizing the incident. "Rather than engaging in wasteful political disputes, we must deeply reflect on why such tragic incidents continue to occur and seek fundamental solutions," Chung wrote on Facebook. "A thorough investigation should establish the facts, and appropriate measures will

2026-10-01 14:32:52:00

[Key Points] DMZ blast dispute raises tensions as North Korea warns of retaliation

Border blast dispute: North Korea denied responsibility for the Sept. 21 DMZ explosion that injured three South Korean soldiers, rejecting Seoul’s finding that North Korean mines were highly likely to blame. Retaliation threat: Kim Yo-jong warned of “immediate and merciless” retaliation if South Korean troops fire directly on North Korean soldiers working near the border. East-west mismatch: The blast occurred on the western front, but Kim’s warning focused on the eastern sector facing South Kor

2026-09-30 16:04:20:00

Kim Yo-jong rejects Seoul's DMZ mine accusations, warns of ‘merciless’ retaliation

North Korea on Wednesday denied involvement in a recent explosion at the inter-Korean border, accusing Seoul of making false accusations while warning of "immediate and merciless" retaliation if South Korean troops open fire on its soldiers working near the border. The unusually swift warning from Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and a department director of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Committee, came after South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North

2026-09-30 15:01:14:00

Seoul envoy to US highlights South Korea's ‘pacemaker’ role in reviving US-North Korea dialogue

South Korea's ambassador to the United States reaffirmed Seoul's willingness to help revive dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, saying maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula remains a key policy focus. Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha made the remarks Tuesday at an event in Washington marking South Korea's National Day and Armed Forces Day, amid renewed attention to the prospects for US-North Korea diplomacy as US President Donald Trump has expressed hopes of meeting North Korean leader Kim J

2026-09-30 13:56:34:00

N. Korea operates secret detention facility beneath Beijing embassy: report

North Korea operates a secret detention facility beneath its embassy in Beijing where diplomats and other nationals suspected of attempting to defect are detained, interrogated and prepared for forced repatriation, a Seoul-based human rights watchdog claimed Tuesday. The Transitional Justice Working Group said in a report that multiple sources had identified the basement of the consular section of the North Korean Embassy in Beijing as a “black site” used to hold people outside formal legal proc

2026-09-29 14:03:22:00

Seoul summons Ukrainian envoy over N. Korean POW disclosure, demands apology

South Korea summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador to Seoul on Monday to protest Kyiv's disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea and demanded an official explanation and apology over what Seoul says was a breach of a confidentiality agreement. First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo called in Andrii Vieshkin, Ukraine's charge d'affaires in Seoul, to the Foreign Ministry on Monday afternoon and conveyed the government's "grave position" on the controversy, ac

2026-09-28 19:19:24:00

POW row fans speculation over South Korea's motives

A row over whether Ukraine broke an agreement by disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea is fueling speculation over why Seoul had hoped to keep the matter confidential. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the transfer during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Soon afterward, President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over the disclosure, saying that the two sides had agreed not to publicize the matter. Cheong

2026-09-28 15:35:57:00