N. Korean leader Russian culture minister, pushes for stronger cultural ties

SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova in Pyongyang on Sunday, highlighting growing cultural cooperation between the two countries. The visit marked one year since the signing of the North Korea-Russia Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which took place during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang in June last year. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Workers' Party of

June 30, 2025

Kim Jong-un's wife surfaces for first time in about 18 months

SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's wife appeared at an event for the grand opening of a coastal tourist zone, state media reported on Thursday. According to the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim attended a ceremony on Tuesday marking the completion of the Wonsan and Kalma tourist zone in Kangwon Province, one of his pet projects, as he apparently aims to boost the country's tourism industry as a source of hard currency for hi

June 26, 2025

Railway services connecting Pyongyang and Moscow resume after pandemic halt

SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - Railway services linking Pyongyang and Moscow have resumed after being halted for five years amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to Russian state media. The Kremlin's state-run news agency TASS reported that a passenger train that departed the North Korean capital last week arrived at Moscow's Yaroslavsky railway station on Wednesday after a journey of about eight days. But the first train that departed from Pyongyang on June 17 had "no pa

June 26, 2025

North Korea holds mass rallies against US on Korean War anniversary

SEOUL, June 25 (AJP) - North Korea held a series of mass anti-United States rallies this week to mark the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, Pyongyang's state media reported on Wednesday. According to the official state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), various unions organized rallies in Pyongyang and other regions on Tuesday and Wednesday. The events were part of what the North calls the “Day of Struggle Against U.S. Imperialism,” observed a

June 25, 2025

North Korea holds key party meeting ahead of major anniversaries

SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - North Korea wrapped up a plenary meeting of the Workers Party to review policies and plans for the second half of this year, state media reported on Tuesday. According to the official state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the three-day meeting, which began last Saturday and was chaired by its leader Kim Jong-un, was convened "to conduct the interim review" of major policies for this year and "to discuss and decide on the issues arising in

June 24, 2025

North Korea to resume int'l film festival this fall after pandemic hiatus

SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - North Korea is expected to resume its only international film festival this fall after a six-year hiatus, amid signs that the isolated country is gradually reopening its borders to the outside world. The Pyongyang International Film Festival (PIFF) will kick off its week-long run on Oct. 22, organizers said on Thursday. Launched in 1987 and held every two to three years, the festival became an annual event in 2018 but was suspended indefinitely after its la

June 19, 2025

North Korean leader meets Russian security chief to 'discuss additional troop deployment'

SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has held talks with Russia's top security official in Pyongyang to discuss ways to further strengthen military cooperation between the two countries, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Wednesday. According to KCNA, Kim met with Russia's Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu the previous day, who made his third visit to the isolated country in just three months, following his previous t

June 18, 2025

North Korea on track for up to 90 nuclear warheads, report says

SEOUL, June 16 (AJP) - With nuclear-armed countries including China, Russia and the U.S. racing to bolster their nuclear arsenals, North Korea could increase its stockpile of nuclear warheads to as many as 90, according to a recent report. In its annual yearbook released Monday, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said North Korea "had assembled approximately 50 nuclear warheads and had sufficient fissile material to potentially produce up to 90 warhead

June 16, 2025

North Korea launches repaired destroyer after initial failed attempt

SEOUL, June 13 (AJP) - North Korea has launched a large destroyer, after its initial failed attempt last month, state media reported on Friday. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the 5,000-ton destroyer, named after North Korea’s historical naval hero Kang Kon, was launched at a shipyard in the northeastern port city of Rajin after weeks of repair work. The country's leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch along with his daughter, Ju-ae, who was dressed i

June 13, 2025

Trump 'remains receptive' to talks with North Korea, White House says

SEOUL, June 12 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump "remains receptive" to engaging in talks with North Korea, the White House said Wednesday. When asked to clarify whether North Korean diplomats had refused to accept a letter Trump sent to Kim, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing, "The president remains receptive to correspondence with Kim Jong-un, and he'd like to see the progress that was made at that summit in Singapore, wh

June 12, 2025