Kim Jong-un inspects test of new drones amid ongoing South Korea-US joint drill

SEOUL, August 26 (AJU PRESS) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watched a test of new drones and vowed to develop more such weapons to boost the isolated country's war readiness, state media reported Monday. "It is necessary to develop and produce more suicide drones of various types to be used in tactical infantry and special operation units, as well as strategic reconnaissance and multi-purpose attack drones," Kim was quoted as saying by Pyongyang's state-run Kore

August 26, 2024

N. Korean soldier defects across border to South

SEOUL, August 20 (AJU PRESS) - A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea by crossing the border in Goseong, Gangwon Province, military authorities here said on Tuesday. The soldier, identified as a sergeant, was monitored as he moved south from the military demarcation line (MDL) in the eastern frontline within the operational area of the 22nd Infantry Division. The defector has been handed over to relevant authorities for investigation and apparently expressed his intention

August 20, 2024

Unification Ministry clarifies Yoon's vision for reunification between two Koreas

SEOUL, August 16 (AJU PRESS) - The Unification Ministry here Friday clarified President Yoon Suk Yeol's vision for reunification between the two Koreas, following his address during a ceremony marking Liberation Day the previous day. Yoon outlined his reunification strategy centered on three key principles: "freedom values," "changes in the North Korean populace," and "international solidarity." "Koreans must firmly establish the values an

August 16, 2024

Kim Jong-un blames S. Korea to divert public attention from flood damage

SEOUL, August 12 (AJU PRESS) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's recent harsh tirade against South Korea is a deliberate attempt to shift the focus of flood-damaged people away from their devastated situation, the Ministry of Unification here suggests. During an inspection of flood-hit areas in North Pyongan Province, Kim labeled South Korea a "trash country" and accused its media of spreading "malicious propaganda." According to North Korea's state-

August 12, 2024

Seoul ponders if N. Korean athletes' acceptance of Samsung phones violates UN sanctions

SEOUL, August 8 (AJU PRESS) - South Korea will figure out whether North Korean athletes participating at the Summer Olympics in Paris, France violate United Nations Security Council resolutions by accepting smartphones from Samsung Electronics, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday. Samsung, the official sponsor of this year's Olympics, provided its special edition "Galaxy Z Flip 6" foldable smartphones to all athletes and personnel participating in the

August 8, 2024

N. Korean envoy arrives in Viet Nam amid Pyongyang's move to resume diplomacy

SEOUL, August 8 (AJU PRESS) - North Korea's new ambassador to Viet Nam arrived in Hanoi earlier this week, becoming the isolated country's first envoy abroad since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Ri Sung-kuk replaces his predecessor Kim Myong-gil, who returned to Pyongyang in April 2019. The post had remained vacant since then. His appointment and arrival at the overseas mission came after Ri Ryong-nam was appointed as ambassador to China in 2021. Vietnam'

August 8, 2024

N. Korea deploys hundreds of missile launchers to frontline units

SEOUL, August 5 (AJU PRESS) - North Korea said it has deployed 250 new mobile launchers for ballistic missiles to frontline military units, the reclusive country said Monday. Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim attended a ceremony the previous day to commemorate the transfer of the new launchers. It quoted Kim as saying, "If the U.S. ignores our repeated warnings and continues to attempt to undermine the security of the region, it will have di

August 5, 2024

North Korean leader denounces 'fabricated' flood reports in South

SEOUL, August 03 (AJU PRESS) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday accused South Korea of fabricating the scale of recent floods in his country, state media reported. It was his first public reaction to Seoul’s offers of aid. In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim branded South Korea an “unchangeable enemy” and dismissed claims of widespread devastation in North Phyongan province as a “wicked” attempt to tarnish the Nor

August 3, 2024

N. Korean garbage balloons land inside presidential office in Seoul

SEOUL, July 24 (AJU PRESS) - Trash-filled balloons sent southwards by North Korea, landed inside the presidential office's compound in Seoul's Yongsan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Wednesday. Pyongyang has been sending balloons carrying wastepaper and other garbage, including human feces, to South Korea since May this year in retaliation against South Korean activist groups, mostly consisting of defectors, sending propaganda leaflets to the North. Thousands of Nor

July 24, 2024

Suspicious border activities in N. Korea suggest growing instability amid elite defections

SEOUL, July 23 (AJU PRESS) - North Korea has been building walls and digging holes along the border with South Korea, recent satellite images suggest. An analysis of satellite photos from American earth-imaging company Planet Labs shows newly-elected structures resembling walls along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), an area already heavily-fortified with landmines and high fences. Construction of these structures seemed to have started early this year, as they were not seen until at l

July 23, 2024