N. Korea claims dam collapse in Ukraine occurred with Washington, Kyiv in 'cahoots'

North Korea claimed Friday the latest collapse of a dam in Ukraine was the result of a scheme cooked up by Washington and Kyiv in "cahoots" to shift responsibility for the humanitarian disaster to Russia amid Moscow's war with Ukraine. The North said the US, Ukraine and other western countries are "basely" passing on all responsibility for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam to Russia at a time when the world is concerned about humanitarian and material damage by the inc

June 9, 2023

N. Korea does not send athletes to intl. weightlifting competition in Cuba

North Korea has not sent its athletes to an international weightlifting competition being held in Cuba despite its earlier registration of entries to the event, according to the weightlifting governing body Friday. North Korea had registered a team of 14 athletes for the International Weightlifting Federation Grand Prix I to be held from June 8-18 in Havana, sparking speculation over the North's return to the international sports arena following years of COVID-19-related border shutdown. Bu

June 9, 2023

N. Korea says it 'never recognizes' IMO resolution condemning its missile launches

North Korea said Thursday it "rejects and never recognizes" the latest resolution adopted by an international maritime safety agency denouncing the North's missile launches following its attempt to launch a spy satellite. A spokesperson at the North's Maritime Administration denounced the resolution by the International Maritime Organization as "unfair and illegal" and demanded the agency reflect the North's stance in its official document, according to the off

June 8, 2023

Yoon’s new security strategy identifies NK as most pressing threats

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration on Wednesday released its first top security guidelines, the National Security Strategy, identifying North Korea's advancing nuclear development as the most pressing threat. The newly revised guidelines, under the theme of a global pivotal state for freedom, peace and prosperity, marks the first update in five years since the previous Moon Jae-in administration published its guidelines envisioning a peaceful and prosperous Korean Peninsula in 2018. The new g

June 7, 2023

[NK Hunger] Kim Jong-un’s food politics: How food insecurity is leveraged to maintain regime stability

Shortly after taking power, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in 2012 that he wouldn’t have his people “tighten their belts again.” He has pushed to overhaul the agricultural system and enhance crop yields since then, but food shortages have continued. This year, the Kim regime has prioritized enhancing grain production among its 12 major economic goals. The ruling party views agricultural challenges as a “life-or-death matter for the survival and development of the co

June 7, 2023

N. Korean premier sends condolence message to India's prime minister over rail disaster

North Korea's Premier Kim Tok-hun has sent a message of condolence to India's prime minister over last week's deadly train crash in the country, state media reported Wednesday. Three trains collided in the eastern state of Odisha on Friday, killing at least 288 people, according to foreign media reports. In the message sent to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, Kim expressed "deep sympathy and condolences" to the bereaved families and victims, according to t

June 7, 2023

N. Korean youth group donates multiple rocket launchers to military

A major North Korean youth organization has donated multiple rocket launchers to the country's military on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of its founding, state media reported Wednesday. The Korean Children's Union made the donations at a ceremony Tuesday in Pyongyang after taking part in a labor movement designed to help secure the weapons, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The labor movement is known to be staged to raise funds for the North Korean military by utiliz

June 7, 2023

IMO may adopt resolution again if NK launches satellite without notice

The International Maritime Organization has hinted at adopting another resolution if North Korea launches a second spy satellite without notice. Natasha Brown, IMO Press Information Service Officer, said “IMO can adopt a resolution, issue a circular, issue a decision of an IMO body as it has done in the past,” in response to Voice of America’s written query in regard to North Korea’s statement that it would not notify the IMO in advance of any satellite launches. Offici

June 6, 2023

N. Korean leader’s public military activities spike upward this year

The frequency of publicly reported military activities by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been on a notable rise since the beginning of this year compared to the past few years. Kim conducted 12 public military activities by the end of April this year, according to analysis and data provided by the government-funded Korea Institute for National Unification headquartered in Seoul. The total number of such activities increased to 13 by the end of May, including Kim's inspection of prepara

June 6, 2023

N. Korean leader's sister slams UNSC meeting on space rocket launch

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday lambasted last week's meeting of the US Security Council on the country's recent failed space rocket launch as "the most unfair and biased act of interfering in internal affairs." In a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo-jong expressed displeasure over Friday's open UNSC briefing, stressing the North will continue to exercise "all the lawful rights" as a sovereign state,

June 4, 2023

Military continues salvage operation for North Korean rocket debris

The South Korean military continued its operation Saturday to search and salvage the wreckage of a North Korean rocket that crashed into the Yellow Sea. Deep-sea divers from the Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit were deployed to the remote sea, 200 kilometers west of the western island of Eocheong, military officials said. The North launched what it claimed to be a satellite-carrying rocket Wednesday. But it crashed into the sea due to the abnormal starting of the second-stage engine, the North'

June 3, 2023

S. Korea, US issue warning about N. Korea hacking group

South Korea and the US issued a warning about a state-backed North Korean hacking group in a joint statement Friday, with Seoul slapping a ban on the group -- the first time for any single country to do so. The group Kimsuky is known for collecting intelligence on national security and foreign policy issues involving the Korean Peninsula from individuals and institutions, and has been providing such intelligence to the North while helping the isolated country to develop what it claims are &ldquo

June 2, 2023

Military identifies NK projectile fuselage, salvage underway

The South Korean defense minister said Thursday that the military was conducting a salvage operation for a segment of a North Korean space launch vehicle believed to be from the second stage of propulsion, and was tracing remaining debris from the projectile a day after the launch ended in failure. Speaking before the National Assembly’s national defense committee, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said it is looking into the possibility of retrieving the reconnaissance satellite that North Ko

June 1, 2023

IMO adopts first-ever resolution condemning N. Korea's missile launches

The International Maritime Organization adopted a resolution strongly condemning North Korea's missile tests for the first time earlier this week, in a clear message to the reclusive country against its escalating provocations. The resolution, adopted at the 107th session of the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee in London on Wednesday, denounced the launches as a serious threat to the safety of international navigation and urged compliance with due regulations, including giving prior not

June 1, 2023

N. Korea will pay due price for violating UNSC resolutions: S. Korean envoy

WASHINGTON -- North Korea's failed launch of a spy satellite has violated United Nations Security Council resolutions and the country will face corresponding consequences, South Korea's ambassador to the United States said Wednesday. Amb. Cho Hyun-dong also insisted that the North's provocative actions will only lead to further isolation. "North Korea has said it will conduct a second launch, but any such launch will carry a due price," Cho said while meeting with report

June 1, 2023

Kim's sister says N. Korea will 'correctly' place spy satellite into orbit soon after failed launch

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed that Pyongyang will "correctly" place a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit soon, state media reported Thursday, a day after the North's attempt to launch a spy satellite failed. Kim Yo-jong made the remarks as she slammed the United States for its denouncement of the North's botched launch the previous day of what it claimed to be a "space launch vehicle," according to a statement carried by the Nor

June 1, 2023

NK leader estimated to weigh about 140 kg with significant sleep disorders: spy agency

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is estimated to be experiencing significant sleep disorders and to weigh around 140 kilograms, lawmakers quoted South Korea's state intelligence agency as saying Wednesday. Director Kim Kyou-hyun of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) delivered the report during a briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee, according to key ruling and opposition members of the committee. "Based on the fact that North Korean authorities have been actively co

May 31, 2023

Embassies keep calm amid false evacuation warnings

Air raid sirens and text message warnings sent by South Korean authorities Wednesday morning after North Korea launched what it claimed was a satellite seem not to have disrupted the daily lives of foreign national residents as much as those of South Korean nationals, according to several foreign embassies in Seoul on Wednesday. Residents in the country’s capital received Korean-language warnings from the city government telling people to prepare for evacuation without further details at 6

May 31, 2023

[News Focus] NK satellite launch tests renewed security cooperation

North Korea's attempted launch of its first spy satellite into space on Wednesday came at a critical time, as South Korea has been bolstering its military cooperation with the US and Japan to curb the reclusive regime's missile ambitions. But such an attempt by Pyongyang will only enhance security cooperation between Seoul and the two security partners, experts say. “The primary catalyst behind the efforts to restore relations between (South) Korea and Japan has been North Kore

May 31, 2023

North Korea admits satellite launch failure, vows second attempt

North Korea’s attempt to launch its first-ever military reconnaissance satellite into orbit ended in failure Wednesday, and briefly put South Korea and its neighbors on high alert when it disappeared from the planned trajectory. It was later found to have crashed into the sea. In a rare move, Pyongyang promptly acknowledged the failure of its attempt, but said it would conduct another launch “as soon as possible,” adding more pressure on South Korea and its security partners --

May 31, 2023