Russia's top security official arrives in Pyongyang for talks

SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - Russia's high-ranking security official arrived in Pyongyang for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Moscow state-run news agency TASS reported on Friday. Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of the security council of the Russian Federation, is also expected to meet with other senior officials during his trip. The visit comes amid increasingly close ties between the two countries, with Pyongyang's deployment of thousands of troops to Moscow to sup

March 21, 2025

N. Korean leader examines test-launch of surface-to-air missile system

SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected the test-fire of the country's newly developed surface-to-air missile system on Thursday, Pyongyang's state-controlled media reported Friday. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim expressed gratitude toward researchers at North Korea's Missile Administration and praised the new anti-aircraft missile system. KCNA reported that the new system was evaluated to be "highly reliable,&quo

March 21, 2025

North Korea given exemption for medical supplies from WHO

SEOUL, March 20 (AJP) - North Korea is expected to receive some medical supplies from the World Health Organization (WHO) after the United Nations Security Council approved an exemption from international sanctions, Radio Free Asia reported on Thursday. According to the U.S. government-funded news outlet, the exemption, granted on Feb. 13, allows the WHO to send vital equipment to the isolated country. The shipment, valued at approximately $63,000, will include 20 types of medica

March 20, 2025

North Korea holds world's third-largest stash of bitcoins

SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - North Korea is estimated to hold the third-largest amount of bitcoin in the world, following a series of covert cyberattacks targeting cryptocurrencies, a recent analysis reveals. A hacker group called Lazarus, which is thought to be linked with the North Korean regime, currently holds approximately 13,562 bitcoins valued at US$1.14 billion, according to cryptocurrency exchange Binance and blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence. That puts North Kore

March 19, 2025

North Korea vows to expand nuclear arsenal 'both in quality and quantity'

SEOUL, March 17 (AJP) - North Korea on Monday vowed to further expand its nuclear arsenal "both in quality and quantity," dismissing a global call to abandon its nuclear weapons program. "The will steadily update and strengthen its nuclear armed forces both in quality and quantity," the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, quoting a spokesman from the isolated country's Foreign Ministry. The North's response came shortly after

March 17, 2025

North Korea launches multiple unidentified projectiles toward West Sea

SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - North Korea fired multiple unidentified projectiles toward the West Sea, which appeared to be ballistic missiles, military authorities here said on Monday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from North Korea's Hwanghae Province at around 1:50 p.m., but did not provide further details. The launch comes just hours after the renegade country vowed the "toughest anti-U.S. counteraction," threatening "undesirable cons

March 10, 2025

North Korea lashes out as South Korea-US joint drill gets underway

SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - North Korea on Monday denounced South Korea's annual joint defense exercise with the U.S. as a "dangerous provocative act," calling it "an aggressive confrontational war rehearsal," in yet another protest, just days after a similar protest last week. The annual exercise dubbed "Freedom Shield," which kicks off on Monday, is "a dangerous provocative act of leading the acute situation on the Korean Peninsula, which may spa

March 10, 2025

North Korea 'abruptly halts packaged tours for foreign tourists'

SEOUL, March 6 (AJP) - Packaged tours to North Korea have been abruptly suspended, according to several travel agencies based in China. Koryo Tours, a British travel agency based in Beijing, said on Thursday that it was notified of a temporary halt to tours to the northeastern special economic zone of Rason, adding that it is looking into the situation. Other travel agencies such as Young Pioneer Tours, founded by a New Zealander in Beijing, and Spain-based KTG Tours, al

March 6, 2025

North Korea 'seeks to attract foreign tourists with annual marathon race in Pyongyang'

SEOUL, March 4 (AJP) - North Korea appears to be gradually reopening its borders to foreign tourists after closing off from the outside world in early 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Koryo Tours, a British travel agency based in Beijing, is currently offering a packaged program that includes participation in the annual Pyongyang International Marathon, along with a guided tour of the isolated country's capital. Those who want to compete in the annual spring race for ama

March 4, 2025

Signs indicate North Korea's nuclear reactor in operation, IAEA says

SEOUL, March 4 (AJP) - There are signs that North Korea is resuming operations at its nuclear facilities, according to Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "There are indications that the uranium enrichment plants at Kangson and Yongbyon continue to operate," said the IAEA chief during a meeting of the agency's Board of Governors in Vienna, Austria on Tuesday. He also said the agency has spotted activities at Yongbyon'

March 4, 2025