Journalist

Lee Hugh
  • North Korean, Chinese FMs agree to strengthen ties during talks in Pyongyang
    North Korean, Chinese FMs agree to strengthen ties during talks in Pyongyang SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - The foreign ministers of North Korea and China agreed to strengthen bilateral ties during their meeting in Pyongyang, state media reported on Friday. According to the state-run friendship is a valuable common asset formed in the revolutionary struggle and persistently develops in the course of socialist construction," expressing thanks for the North's "warm hospitality." He also said the "historic meeting" of Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in September last year "opened a new chapter of the friendly and cooperative relations" between the two countries. Wang's visit came just ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's planned trip to Beijing next month, though neither side mentioned whether it came up in their talks. 2026-04-10 10:15:30
  • North Korea tests tactical ballistic missile with cluster bomb warhead, state media says
    North Korea tests tactical ballistic missile with cluster bomb warhead, state media says SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - North Korea has conducted tests of a "tactical ballistic missile" equipped with a "cluster bomb warhead," state media reported on Thursday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the tests were conducted over three days earlier this week to "verify the combat reliability of the mobile short-range anti-aircraft missile system." It added that the surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missile "tipped with a cluster bomb warhead, can reduce to ashes any target" within an area of 6.5 to 7 hectares with high-density strikes. The missile appears to be a KN-23-series, North Korea's main short-range ballistic missile, similar to Russia's Iskander-type missiles. "There was a firing for testing the maximum workload of engine using low-cost materials," KCNA said. Earlier, the Joint Chiefs of Staff here said it detected an unidentified projectile fired from an area near Pyongyang toward the East Sea on Tuesday, followed by several short-range ballistic missiles fired from Wonsan, Kangwon Province the next morning, and then one more ballistic missile into the East Sea about six hours later. The projectile fired earlier in the week disappeared shortly after launch, leading the JCS to determine that it failed. KCNA also revealed a test of an "electromagnetic weapon and carbon fiber bomb," describing them as special strategic assets to be combined with "various military means," which may have been conducted on Monday, since the JCS detected the tests on Tuesday and Wednesday only. With no mention of the country's leader Kim Jong-un, he apparently did not observe these tests. 2026-04-09 09:34:03
  • South Korea, US launch monthlong survey to recover Korean War remains
    South Korea, US launch monthlong survey to recover Korean War remains SEOUL, April 6 (AJP) - South Korea has begun a joint excavation with the U.S. to recover the remains of personnel from military aircraft that crashed in the East Sea during the 1950–53 Korean War, the Ministry of Defense said Monday. The monthlong survey, which runs until May 1, is taking place near Gangneung and Yangyang in Gangwon Province as a preliminary step ahead of a joint underwater project planned for August. During the survey, officials from both countries will also inspect facilities and gather information through on-site interviews with local residents. One of the survey's main goals is to recover remains and belongings from a military transport plane that crashed in 1952 due to an engine malfunction en route from Gangneung to Pohang, which left nine missing including one South Korean soldier. The U.S. and South Korea have regularly conducted joint excavations to locate missing American soldiers from the war. Of the more than 1.7 million U.S. troops who served, over 36,000 were killed, and nearly 7,400 remain unaccounted for, according to the U.S.' Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). "Expanding joint surveys reflect growing bilateral cooperation between the two countries," said Kim Seong-hwan, acting head of the ministry's department in charge of remains recovery. 2026-04-06 14:56:09
  • Trump delays summit with Xi about a month as Middle East conflict drags on
    Trump delays summit with Xi about a month as Middle East conflict drags on SEOUL, March 17 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he has asked to push back his planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for later this month, citing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. When asked by reporters at the White House if the summit is set to go ahead as planned, Trump said, "I don't know, we're working on that right now." He added, "We've requested that we delay it a month or so." "We're speaking to China. I'd love to, but because of the war, I want to be here. I have to be here, I feel," he then further elaborated. The summit, originally scheduled for March 31 to April 2, was expected to serve as key momentum to mend relations between the two superpowers and work toward resolving various issues, including tariffs. But with the postponement, uncertainty looms until a new date is set. Some pundits speculate that Trump's request to delay the summit could be a move to pressure Beijing to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply. Trump had earlier urged five countries, including China and South Korea, to send warships to help keep the strategically important Strait of Hormuz open as the Middle East conflict which began with U.S.-led strikes on Iran late last month have dragged on with no clear end in sight. He later expanded his call to around seven countries. With his trip to Beijing postponed, Trump's possible meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is also unlikely to materialize anytime soon. 2026-03-17 11:30:14