news highlight

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  Pyongyang labels Japanese drone units a threat as military tensions rise SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) - Pyongyang slammed on Thursday Japan’s move to establish dedicated drone units within its Ground Self-Defense Force, calling the restructuring a "reckless" step toward reviving the country’s past imperial ambitions. State media reported that the modernization of Tokyo’s unmanned capabilities, paired with its recent acquisition of long-range strike weapons, has pushed the region into a dangerous new phase of military escalation. Th April 23, 2026
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  How a single remark exposed deeper fault lines in U.S.–South Korea relation SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - When South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told lawmakers in March that North Korea was operating uranium enrichment facilities in Yongbyon, Kangson and Kusong, he intended to highlight the growing sophistication of its nuclear program. Instead, his remarks triggered an intelligence dispute with Washington and a controversy within the highly divisive Korean society. At the heart of the dispute is Kusong, a location that Washington claims had April 22, 2026
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  S. Korea resumes public repatriation of Chinese war dead in sign of thaw SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - South Korea on Tuesday repatriated the remains of Chinese soldiers killed in the 1950–53 Korean War, resuming a public handover ceremony for the first time in three years in a move seen as signaling a modest thaw in ties with Beijing. The Defense Ministry said the 13th transfer ceremony was held at Incheon International Airport, attended by Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee and Xu Yao, vice minister of China’s Ministry of Veterans Affairs. The April 22, 2026
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  Pyongyang tests banned cluster missiles as Kim Jong-un asserts saturation capability SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) - In a bid to assert its ground-to-ground wide-area suppression capability, Pyongyang test-fired tactical ballistic missiles carrying cluster warheads on Sunday. The drill, reported by the Korean Central News Agency on Monday, involved weaponry banned by most of the international community due to its indiscriminate nature and lasting humanitarian risk. According to Pyongyang's state media, the Missile Administration of the Democratic People's Republic April 20, 2026
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  North Korea test-fires tactical ballistic missiles with new warheads, state media says SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) - North Korea has conducted a test of a "surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missile," state media reported on Monday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the test was conducted the previous day to "evaluate the power of warhead of the improved surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missile Hwasongpho-11 Ra." "Five tactical ballistic missiles, launched towards the target area around an island about 136 k April 20, 2026
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  N. Korea fires ballistic missile toward East Sea, suspected as sub-linked launch *Updated with additional information SEOUL, April 19 (AJP) -North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles from its submarine hub of Sinpo early Sunday in its latest string of weapons tests over the last two months amid ongoing war in the Gulf, raising the possibility of a submarine-linked launch as Pyongyang advances its sea-based nuclear ambitions. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the launches were detected at around 6:10 a.m. from the Sinpo area, with the missi April 19, 2026
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  S. Korea claims North Korean economy on recovery SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Wednesday that North Korea’s economy is entering a gradual recovery phase in line with closer ties and trade activities with Russia and China. The ministry cited deepening “alliance-level” ties between Pyongyang and Moscow — including cooperation in advanced weapons and technology — alongside increased exchange with China, as key drivers supporting the country’s economic stabili April 15, 2026
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  North Korean leader again oversees test-firing of missiles from naval destroyer SEOUL, April 14 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected again the test-firing of missiles from a naval destroyer, state media reported Tuesday. "Two strategic cruise missiles and three anti-warship missiles were test-fired" last Sunday from the 5,000-ton multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyun to assess its "operational efficiency," with Kim observing it, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Kim's latest inspection of the April 14, 2026
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  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 Korean Central News Agency, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who arrived in Pyongyang the previous day, held talks with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son-hui. North Korea rolled out a red carpet for Wang upon his arrival, as he was "warmly met by Choe" a April 10, 2026