Kim Jong-un reaffirms closer ties with Xi Jinping in message through domestic newspaper

SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening ties with China, sending a reply letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping that was published on the front page of Rodong Sinmun on Tuesday. The letter was written in response to Xi’s earlier congratulatory message marking the 77th anniversary of North Korea’s founding. In the official English version of the message, provided by the Korean Central New

September 23, 2025

Seoul ready to play the mediator, but uninvited by NK and US

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung offers to act as a mediator between the United States and North Korea in hopes to relive the historic scene of the leaders of two Koreas and U.S. standing side by side on Korean soil during the upcoming APEC summit in Gyeongju. In an interview with the BBC released Monday, Lee said he would accept a deal between Washington and Pyongyang under which North Korea freezes its nuclear weapons program, calling it a "

September 22, 2025

Kim Jong-un signals openness to US talks while rejecting S. Korea as partner

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - In a speech delivered at the Supreme People’s Assembly in Pyongyang on Sunday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he could meet with the United States if Washington abandoned its insistence on denuclearization, while ruling out dialogue or unification with South Korea, "I still personally have good memories of President Trump," Kim said, according to the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 22. "If

September 22, 2025

North Korean leader inspects test of tactical drones

SEOUL, September 19 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a test of tactical drones and instructed enhancements to their operational capabilities, state media reported Friday. The test demonstrated the "excellent combat effectiveness of the Kumsong-series tactical attack drones," with Kim expressing his satisfaction with the test results, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. It is the first time that North Korean media has mentioned the &q

September 19, 2025

S. Korea mulls renaming term for N. Korean defectors as integration deepens

SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said the government is studying the possibility of changing the widely used Korean term "Talbukmin" (탈북민, translated as defector) to refer to North Korean arrivals, reflecting a shift in perceptions as more North Korean-born residents take active roles in society. According to the Ministry of Unification on Tuesday, Chung's remarks were made during his opening speech session of the

September 16, 2025

North Korea vows nuclear weapons program to remain 'irreversible'

SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - North Korean state media on Monday condemned Washington for infringing on the country's sovereignty, citing a statement from its permanent mission to the U.N. in Vienna, where it reiterated that its status as a nuclear weapons state is "irreversible" under its constitution and vowed to "thoroughly oppose and reject" any attempt to change it. "We strongly denounce and reject the U.S. provocative act of revealing once again its

September 15, 2025

Kim Yo-jong warns US, Japan and South Korea over upcoming military drills

SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - SEOUL — Kim Yo-jong, a senior North Korean official and sister of leader Kim Jong-un, warned that upcoming joint military exercises involving the United States, South Korea and Japan would bring "bad results" for those countries, calling them a reckless show of force in the wrong place. Her statement, released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency on September 14, criticized two drills set to begin next week. The first, Iron Mace,

September 14, 2025

North Korea tests new solid-fuel engine for ICBMs

SEOUL, September 9 (AJP) - North Korea tested a new high-thrust solid-fuel engine for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), state media reported on Tuesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the reclusive country "conducted another ground jet test of a high-thrust solid-fuel engine using composite carbon fiber material," with its leader Kim Jong-un inspecting the test. KCNA said it was the "ninth ground jet test" of i

September 9, 2025

Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping pledge unshakable ties through summit meeting

SEOUL, September 05 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing on Thursday for their first summit in nearly seven years, signaling an effort to revive ties that had weakened as Pyongyang deepened its alignment with Moscow. The two leaders held talks at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday, the day after attending China's "Victory Day" military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. According

September 5, 2025

S. Korean National Assembly Speaker meets N. Korean and Russian leaders in Beijing

SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - South Korean National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik had two rare encounters in Beijing on Wednesday, a brief greeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and a short conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. One ended with little more than a nod, the other touched upon inter-Korean relations. According to Woo's office, the encounter with Kim took place in a waiting room ahead of China's "Victory Day" military parade at Tianan

September 4, 2025