North Korea

  • Kim Jong-uns sister throws another tantrum against South Korea
    Kim Jong-un's sister throws another tantrum against South Korea SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Yo-jong, has again criticized South Korea, saying it is not even a "partner" in diplomatic relations. South Korea "cannot be a diplomatic partner of the ," she said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday. She added that Seoul, as its "most hostile state," is "not serious, weighty, or honest." Snubbing South Korean Pr August 20, 2025
  • North Korea condemns South Koreas joint exercise with US
    North Korea condemns South Korea's joint exercise with US SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - North Korea on Tuesday denounced South Korea's ongoing joint military exercise with the U.S. which began the previous day, calling it a "clear expression" of its hostile stance toward Pyongyang, state media reported on Tuesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim lambasted the exercise, saying it revealed the South's "intention to remain most hostile and confrontational" toward the North, despite the August 19, 2025
  • Pyongyang denies removal of propaganda loudspeakers along border
    Pyongyang denies removal of propaganda loudspeakers along border SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - North Korea on Thursday reiterated that it has no intention of restoring ties with South Korea. "We have clarified on several occasions that we have no will to improve relations with the ," said Kim Yo-jong, the sister of the isolated country's leader Kim Jong-un, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Her remarks came as she denied recent claims by South Korean military authorities that the North had begun dism August 14, 2025
  • North Korea embraces nascent mobile payment services
    North Korea 'embraces nascent mobile payment services' SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - North Korea appears to have embraced nascent mobile payment and digital wallet services. More and more North Koreans are making payments using mobile phones, with cash transactions "becoming increasingly rare," the Choson Sinbo, a mouthpiece for Pyongyang in Japan, reported on Thursday. According to the daily published by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan or Chongryon, residents in Pyongyang are now able to use their mobile dev August 8, 2025
  • Washington remains open to talks with North Korea despite snub
    Washington remains 'open' to talks with North Korea despite snub SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump remains 'open' to reengaging in talks with North Korea, Reuters reported on Monday. Citing a White House official, it said, Trump "remains open to engaging with to achieve a fully denuclearized North Korea." The response came shortly after Kim's sister, Yo-jong, snubbed Trump's repeated overtures for rapprochement with the isolated country. In a statement carried by t July 29, 2025
  • North Korea shuts the door on dialogue, brushes off Lee Jae-myungs outreach
    North Korea shuts the door on dialogue, brushes off Lee Jae-myung's outreach SEOUL, July 28 (AJP) - North Korea has flatly rejected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's recent gestures of reconciliation, accusing Seoul of political insincerity and declaring there is "no issue to be discussed" between the two sides. The statement, released Monday by Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, underscores Pyongyang's decision to sever what little remained of inter-Korean communication. To understand the b July 28, 2025
  • US sanctions more North Korean workers over illicit overseas schemes
    US sanctions more North Korean workers over illicit overseas schemes SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - More North Korean firms and workers involved in illicit schemes abroad have been sanctioned by the U.S. The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Thursday sanctioned North Korean trading company Sobaeksu and three IT workers as "part of a collaborative effort" with the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and State, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations to counter North Korea's "wide-ranging r July 25, 2025
  • North Korea lures foreign tourists with huge discounts for next years marathon event
    North Korea lures foreign tourists with huge discounts for next year's marathon event SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - North Korea appears to be eager to earn hard currency, as it has already started offering deals for its annual marathon event for next spring. According to ads on Tuesday by Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based agency specializing in travel to the isolated country, early-bird discounts of 50 percent are available until Sept. 1 for those who sign up for the Pyongyang International Marathon, which is scheduled for April next year. Without detailed itineraries and oth July 22, 2025
  • North Korea hails UNESCO listing of Mt. Kumgang
    North Korea hails UNESCO listing of Mt. Kumgang SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - North Korean state media on Wednesday reported the country’s recent inclusion of Mt. Kumkang on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The news coverage came about three days after the decision was made at the international body's annual gathering in Paris over the weekend. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) hailed the decision, saying that the country's scenic mountain was recognized for its "exquisite harmony of cultural tradition July 16, 2025
  • Russian airliner to launch direct flights to Pyongyang
    Russian airliner to launch direct flights to Pyongyang SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) - A direct flight linking Pyongyang and Moscow will be launched later this month, Russia's Transport Ministry said Monday. According to the ministry, Russian carrier Nordwind Airlines will offer the first-ever direct passenger flights to Pyongyang twice a week starting in late July, connecting the two countries' capitals. The non-stop route, which takes about eight hours, was approved last week by Russia's aviation authorities following a request July 15, 2025