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  • North Korea conducts test of long-range cruise missiles
    North Korea conducts test of long-range cruise missiles SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - North Korea test-fired long-range cruise missiles toward the West Sea, state media said on Monday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), they flew along a preset route "for 10,199 seconds and 10,203 seconds" before striking their targets. The launch, which was conducted the previous day with the country's leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, was part of drills aimed at checking the strategic weapons system's accuracy while strengthening the combat readiness and capabilities of long-range missile units. Expressing "great satisfaction," Kim reportedly said the drills were for self-defense, as the country is "facing various security threats." 2025-12-29 09:09:17
  • North Korea holds grand openings of new hotels near Mt. Paektu
    North Korea holds grand openings of new hotels near Mt. Paektu SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - North Korea has completed five hotels in the country's tourist zone of Samjiyon near Mt. Paektu, state media reported on Tuesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, its leader Kim Jong-un attended an opening ceremony along with his daughter Ju-ae last Saturday, expressing "his unshakable will to turn ..... into an innovative and highly civilized city representing the tourism culture of the country." Ju-ae accompanied her father, following her public appearance the day before at a factory opening in Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province. North Korean media released several photos of her in a black coat touring the hotel. Kim's wife Ri Sol-ju also appeared to attend, though she was less frequently featured in these photos. They suggest that the hotels feature upscale rooms and amenities, including banquet halls, saunas, and an outdoor pool, in an apparent effort to highlight year-end achievements ahead of the country's key Workers' Party congress scheduled for early next year. Separate grand opening events for the remaining four hotels were also held last weekend. North Korea has been promoting tourism to earn hard currency amid international sanctions, focusing on developing Mt. Paektu areas along with its coastal tourist zones in Wonsan and Kalma in Kangwon Province. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said, "North Korea seems to be promoting Kim's modernization drive, which now extends beyond the capital of Pyongyang to include more remote areas like Samjiyon." 2025-12-23 17:43:30
  • Nearly 90% of North Korean defectors satisfied with life in South Korea, survey finds
    Nearly 90% of North Korean defectors satisfied with life in South Korea, survey finds SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - About eight in 10 North Korean defectors say they are satisfied with their new life in South Korea, a survey reveals. The Korea Hana Foundation on Tuesday released its survey of around 2,500 North Korean defectors who arrived in Seoul between January 1997 and December last year. This year's survey, conducted through face-to-face interviews by about 76 specialized counselors, with a response rate of 86.4 percent or around 2,160 respondents, found that 81.2 percent were content with life in South Korea, up 1.6 percentage points from a year earlier and the highest level since the survey began in 2011. "Freedom" was the most common reason for satisfaction, cited by 41.5 percent, while 24.3 percent pointed to "separation from family" as the main reason for dissatisfaction. Some 14 percent said they experienced discrimination or were looked down on in the past year for being defectors, down 2.3 percentage points from the previous year and the lowest on record. Some 61.6 percent expressed satisfaction with their social and economic achievements, and 72.2 percent believed they could improve the social and economic status of themselves and their children. Wage gaps, however, still remain, with their average monthly income at 2.61 million won, compared to 3.20 million won for ordinary South Koreans. About 61.3 percent were employed, slightly lower than their compatriots in the South. 2025-12-23 10:38:43
  • Seoul says it held nuclear talks with Russia despite Moscows denial
    Seoul says it held nuclear talks with Russia despite Moscow's denial SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - South Korea reportedly held talks with Russia to discuss multiple issues including North Korea's nuclear weapons program. According to diplomatic sources, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official handling North Korea-related issues traveled to Moscow and met with Oleg Burmistrov, the Russian Foreign Ministry's special envoy for North Korea's nuclear issues. Apart from a foreign ministers' meeting in September this year, this was the first gathering of nuclear officials since bilateral relations worsened after North Korea's troop deployment to Russia in October last year, drawing attention for possible changes. Observers believe South Korea urged Russia to play a "constructive role" in promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula. During the meeting, Seoul likely raised concerns about military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, which violates UN Security Council resolutions, and also discussed efforts to bring an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Russia, however, denied the meeting, calling it an attempt to sow distrust between Moscow and Pyongyang, apparently mindful of North Korea. According to the Kremlin's state-run news agency TASS, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in the statement, "The opponents of our cooperation with North Korea do not abandon their futile attempts to drive a wedge into the Russian-Korean comprehensive strategic partnership and sow distrust between the allied countries and the peoples of Russia and North Korea." She added, "Russia does not hold any consultations with the South Korean side, does not discuss with it any topics affecting bilateral relations between Pyongyang and Seoul, much less the 'North Korean nuclear problem' because there is no 'North Korean nuclear problem' for Russia.'" 2025-12-22 13:41:31
  • Pro-Pyongyang paper slams Washington for omitting North Korea from US security policy
    Pro-Pyongyang paper slams Washington for omitting North Korea from US security policy SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - What is most "notable" in the U.S.' National Security Strategy (NSS) released early this month is that it does not mention North Korea at all, said a pro-North Korea newspaper in Japan. In a column published on Thursday, Choson Sinbo, a mouthpiece for Pyongyang run by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan or Chongryon said failing to mention North Korea would amount to the U.S. admitting the "complete failure" of its denuclearization policy for the Korean Peninsula. The paper also criticized the NSS as lacking strategic depth, describing the "self-contradictory and distorted" document as containing little international analysis and being driven primarily by U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" principles. The rebuke followed similar remarks last Friday when the paper slammed Washington for trying to shift from "world police" to "fortress America." Released on Dec. 4, this year's NSS, which outlines U.S. security visions and strategies, made no mention of North Korea or its denuclearization. The omission marks an unusual departure from previous administrations, raising concerns here about shifting U.S. security priorities. 2025-12-18 15:25:16
  • North Korean leader visits fathers mausoleum
    North Korean leader visits father's mausoleum SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited his father's mausoleum in Pyongyang on Wednesday, state media reported. According to the state-run by opening up a new glorious history of comprehensive national rejuvenation," it added. Kim has visited the mausoleum every year, except in 2022. 2025-12-17 10:54:51
  • 24/7 hotline for transnational crimes available, spy agency says
    24/7 hotline for transnational crimes available, spy agency says SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - Victims of transnational crimes such as online scams and phishing schemes, as well as those who encounter or are aware of misinformation threatening national security and public safety, can dial 111 to report them, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said on Tuesday. They also can text to #0111 or leave messages on the NIS' website around the clock. These crimes involve multiple countries or foreign nationals, including voice phishing, overseas employment fraud, online scams, and international drug-related offenses targeting South Koreans. The spy agency urged citizens to immediately report any such incidents, warning that the recent surge in these crimes "poses a threat to national security." * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-16 17:41:13
  • USFK chief warns against rushing wartime control transfer
    USFK chief warns against rushing wartime control transfer SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - Gen. Xavier Brunson, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), on Friday stressed the importance of meeting conditions for the transfer of wartime operational control to Seoul from Washington rather than rushing to it. Speaking at an online seminar hosted by the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation and the Korea Defense Veterans Association, Brunson said, "We cannot say we're going to slide away from the conditions just so that we can get this done in time." He further explained, "The conditions were written for a reason, but we also have to make sure that those conditions are contemporary conditions because things change," adding "We got to start having these conversations now before we get into conflict." His comments came after President Lee Jae Myung earlier expressed his wish to bring back wartime operational control from the U.S. by the end of his five-year term. Brunson also emphasized that regular exercises between the allies are "absolutely" necessary to maintain security and peace on the Korean Peninsula, opposing ideas raised by some to adjust joint drills to engage with North Korea. "Russian-collaboration is real. It is not a quid pro quo relationship. It is real," he pointed out. "Whenever someone talks about, I don't care who it is, talks about exercising less or exercising differently, and they need to understand that there are two times in a year where we absolutely need some support." He also reaffirmed that the U.S. troop presence in South Korea will remain at the current 28,500, dismissing speculation by some about a possible reduction or withdrawal. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-12 16:14:40
  • Eight out of 10 South Koreans prefer current state over unification with NK
    Eight out of 10 South Koreans prefer current state over unification with NK SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - Nearly eight out of 10 South Koreans prefer sharing the border with North Korea peacefully over a unified Korea, a latest survey showed. According to a survey released Thursday by the Ministry of Unification, 79.4 percent of respondents said that peaceful coexistence without war outweighs the goal of unification. Among them, 37.1 percent strongly agreed and 42.2 percent somewhat agreed. Support was also high for acknowledging the two Koreas as separate states coexisting peacefully, with 69.9 percent backing the idea — including 22.5 percent strongly in favor and 47.3 percent somewhat in favor. Perceptions of North Korea were mixed as 64.6 percent agreed to the regard of North Korea as a separate state, while others disagreed, with 42.6 percent consider the country as a partner for cooperation, 23.8 percent as a threat, 22.6 percent as an adversary, and 8.4 percent as a recipient of aid. Still a combined 62 percent of respondents called unification necessary, with 32 percent saying it is very necessary and 30 percent saying it is somewhat necessary. Public awareness of North Korea’s recently promoted “hostile two-state theory” was high: 80 percent said they were familiar with the concept, and 77.8 percent viewed it negatively. The survey was conducted by Gallup Korea from Dec. 2 to 8, interviewing 1,005 adults aged 18 and older nationwide by phone. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-11 14:52:42
  • North Korean leader makes important conclusion ahead of party congress
    North Korean leader makes 'important conclusion' ahead of party congress SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made an "important conclusion" at this week's plenary meeting, state media reported on Thursday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim "made an important conclusion on the agenda items” that were "discussed at the first-day sitting of the plenary meeting," which began earlier this week in preparation for the Workers' Party's key congress scheduled for early next year. But KCNA did not specify what that would mean. Kim also "reviewed the major successes achieved" this year, while assessing budgets and plans for next year, at the year-end meeting, which is often held over several days in mid-December to prepare for the Workers' Party's key congress in the coming year. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-11 13:47:23