N. Korea, Viet Nam agree to deepen exchanges, strategic communication at foreign ministers' talks SEOUL, May 14 (AJP) - North Korea and Vietnam have agreed to deepen bilateral exchanges and cooperation across various fields during talks between their foreign ministers in Pyongyang, the North's state media reported Thursday. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the country's Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui held talks Wednesday at the Mansudae Assembly Hall with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung, who visited Pyongyang as a special envoy of May 14, 2026

North Korean, Vietnamese FMs agree to 'deepen' bilateral ties SEOUL, May 14 (AJP) - North Korea and Viet Nam agreed to expand exchanges and strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors during talks between their foreign ministers, North Korean state media reported on Thursday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Lê Hoài Trung in Pyongyang on the previous day. The visit comes as momentum has been built between the two trad May 14, 2026

North Korean leader inspects munitions factories, calls for stronger artillery forces SEOUL, May 13 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected munitions factories and called for strengthening "mortar and howitzer forces," state media reported on Wednesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim, accompanied by senior military officials and other key aides, "gave field guidance at several munitions industrial enterprises" earlier this week to "learn about the implementation of munitions production assignments May 13, 2026

Google says it blocked AI-assisted cyberattack plot, warns of North Korean hacking activity SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - Google claimed it had preemptively blocked hackers who were preparing large-scale cyberattacks using artificial intelligence and identified North Korean state-linked hacking activities leveraging AI to refine cyber operations. According to its report published on the Cloud Security blog, Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) uncovered a threat actor believed to have used AI in preparations for a “zero-day” attack campaign. Google said May 12, 2026

North Korean march in Russia's Victory Day parade sends message on new alliance SEOUL, May 11 (AJP) - Missing were the regular VIPs from China and Iran at this year's Victory Day in Russia, while the military hardware usually showcased along Red Square was notably scaled back amid the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. What stood out instead during the 45-minute spectacle was the march of North Korean servicemen fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. The message came across clear. The spectacle was intended to “show off the mili May 11, 2026

North Korea makes first appearance at Russia's military parade amid deepening ties SEOUL, May 10 (AJP) - North Korea took part in a parade as part of Russia's World War II victory celebrations, state media reported on Sunday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korean troops marched in the parade at Moscow's Red Square the previous day marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, during which Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his "gratitude." May 10, 2026

North Korea to 'deploy new self-propelled howitzers along border within this year' SEOUL, May 8 (AJP) - North Korea will deploy new self-propelled howitzers along the border with South Korea "within this year," state media reported on Friday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, its leader Kim Jong-un visited a munitions factory earlier in the week where he "learned about the production of new-type self-propelled gun-howitzers for three battalions to be deployed at the long-range artillery unit in the southern borderline wi May 8, 2026

North Korea 'not bound by NPT,' UN envoy says SEOUL, May 7 (AJP) - North Korea is "not bound" by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), its representative to the United Nations (UN) said in a statement released by state media on Thursday. Kim Song, North Korea's permanent representative to the United Nations, who is currently attending the monthlong NPT review conference in New York, said that the country is "not bound by the NPT in any case," according to state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) May 7, 2026

North Korea drops reunification references in revised constitution, consolidates leader's power SEOUL, May 6 (AJP) - North Korea has added a clause newly defining its territory and removed all references related to reunification with the South in its revised constitution, according to the Ministry of Unification here. In a press conference at the government complex in central Seoul on Wednesday, the ministry said North Korea has defined its territory as the land it shares borders with China and Russia to the north and South Korea to the south including its surrounding waters a May 6, 2026

KFA confirms North Korean female soccer club visit for AFC finals in Suwon SEOUL, May 04 (AJP) - The Korea Football Association confirmed Monday that North Korean women's soccer club Naegohyang (meaning "my hometown" in Korean) will visit Suwon, south of Seoul, for the Asian Football Confederation Women's Champions League finals. The visit marks the first time a North Korean athletic delegation has entered South Korea in eight years. According to South Korea's football governing body, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) informed May 4, 2026