Kim Jong-un joins Xi, Putin at Beijing military parade, daughter absent from ceremony SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - For the first time in 66 years, the leaders of North Korea, China, and Russia stood side by side as Kim Jong-un joined Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at China’s "Victory Day" military parade on Wednesday. The parade, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, began at 9 a.m. in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Official photographs showed Xi at the center with his wife, Peng Liyuan, to his l September 3, 2025

UNICEF sends 2.7 million vaccines to North Korea this year to restore routine immunization SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) - North Korea has received nearly 2.72 million vaccine doses this year through UNICEF, restoring nationwide immunization services disrupted during the pandemic, A United Nations official told AJP through a written interview. Roland Kupka, UNICEF's interim representative to North Korea, said that three chartered flights delivered 1.57 million Pentavalent, 678,000 Measles-Rubella (MR), and 469,000 Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) as of August this year. September 2, 2025

Kim Jong-un inspects institute for new solid-fuel ICBM engine SEOUL, September 2 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a missile research institute on Monday, right before his departure for Beijing to attend a military parade in China. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim inspected "the relevant institute of the General Academy of Chemical Materials under the Missile Administration of the DPRK" on September 1 and met composite carbon fiber material researchers. KCNA said the institute produced September 2, 2025

Kim Jong-un's train enters China for Beijing military parade SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un crossed into China early Tuesday aboard his armored train, bound for Beijing to attend China's "Victory Day" military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim "left Pyongyang by his train" on Monday to join the parade, and the train "passed the border early in the morning on September 2," accompanied September 2, 2025

Kim Jong-un expected to depart Pyongyang Monday by train for Beijing military parade SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to leave Pyongyang by train on Monday and arrive in Beijing the following day to attend a military parade as part of China's "Victory Day" celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. According to multiple government sources on Sunday, Kim is likely to depart Pyongyang on Monday with a special armored train, which takes about 20 to 24 hours to reach the Chinese capital. A September 1, 2025

Pyongyang condemns joint statement on cyber threats SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - North Korea on Monday denounced South Korea, the United States and Japan for pledging joint action against its illicit information technology (IT) activities, calling the move a "political farce." In an op-ed carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the foreign ministry accused the three countries of having "recently made public a joint statement full of fabrication under the pretext of coping with the 'cyber September 1, 2025

Pyongyang honors fallen soldiers ahead of Kim's Beijing trip SEOUL, August 30 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a large-scale memorial event for soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine, just days before his expected attendance at a military parade in Beijing next week. According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the memorial event was held on Friday in Pyongyang to honor troops dispatched overseas. The event came about a week after the unveiling of "the memorial wall" at the ruling party’s headqu August 30, 2025

Seoul aide says Kim Jong-un may briefly greet Speaker Woo at Beijing parade SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to acknowledge South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik when the two attend a military parade in Beijing next week, a senior South Korean presidential aide said Thursday. Woo Sang-ho, senior secretary to President Lee Jae-myung, told reporters that Kim would not "snub" Speaker Woo if they come across each other during China's "Victory Day" celebrations on September 3, marki August 29, 2025

Rights advocates criticize South Korea's decision to withhold North Korea report SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - When South Korea's Ministry of Unification said it would go ahead and compile, but not publicly release its annual report on human rights in North Korea, reversing the previous administration's policy, the move drew criticism from rights advocates and policy experts. "Refusing to make information public is generally not a desirable decision in a democracy," said Robert King, former U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights. "A August 29, 2025

Kim Jong-un to attend miliary parade in Beijing next week SEOUL, August 28 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will visit Beijing next week to attend a military parade as part of China's "Victory Day" celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, state media reported on Thursday. China's Foreign Ministry also unveiled on the same day the list of the event's attendees, which includes a score of heads of state and other leaders. Also among the invitees for the event scheduled for Sept. 3 a August 28, 2025