North Korea vows to further bolster nuclear arsenal

SEOUL, February 9 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his determination to further develop the country's nuclear weapons program and vowed to strongly respond to the "threats" the country faces. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday that the U.S.-led trilateral security alliance, along with South Korea and Japan, poses "a grave challenge to the security environment" of North Korea, quoting its leader as saying. D

February 9, 2025

Number of North Korean defectors slightly increases despite tighter border controls

A group of North Korean defectors arrive in Seoul, in this file photo from April 2016. Courtesy of the Ministry of Unification SEOUL, February 7 (AJP) - The number of North Korean defectors here reached 236 last year, up 20.4 percent from the previous year. The uptick was partly due to those who had been stranded in third countries during the coronavirus pandemic finally making their way to the South. According to the Ministry of Unification on Tuesday, some 26 of them were men, wh

February 7, 2025

Rampant human rights violations continue in North Korea, fresh report reveals

SEOUL, February 6 (AJP) - Despite international pressure and condemnation, human rights violations remain rampant in North Korea, a recent UN report reveals. Based on testimonies from 175 North Korean defectors between November 2022 and October 2024, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) disclosed its findings on Wednesday, ahead of the upcoming UN session in Geneva later this month. More than half of them said that they had suffered various forms

February 6, 2025

Russia to 'build bridge connecting North Korea across Tumen River by late next year'

SEOUL, February 4 (AJP) - Russia is moving ahead with plans to build a road bridge linking its border with North Korea, aiming for completion by late next year, according to a Russian media report. Interfax reported on Monday that Sochi-based construction firm TonnelYuzhStroi has been "designated as the sole contractor" of the project connecting Russia and North Korea in the estuary the Tumen River, also known as the Duman River here. The bridge, slated for completion b

February 4, 2025

North Korea condemns US secretary of state over hostile remarks

SEOUL, February 3 (AJP) - North Korea has strongly criticized the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for referring to the country as a "rogue state." The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Monday that Rubio’s comments reflect Washington's continued hostile stance toward Pyongyang. Rubio made the remarks during an appearance on the "Megyn Kelly Show," broadcast on SiriusXM’s Triumph talk radio channel on Jan. 30. While disc

February 3, 2025

N. Korea test fires sea-to-land cruise missile

SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - North Korea test-fired strategic cruise missiles on Jan. 25 under the guidance of leader Kim Jong-un, marking a significant development in its military deterrence capabilities, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Sunday. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement released at about 6 a.m. Sunday that North Korea fired multiple missiles from a land-based launch site into the West Sea, also known as the Yellow Sea,

January 26, 2025

Ukraine may repatriate North Korean POWs once war with Russia ends

SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - Ukraine has hinted at plans to repatriate North Korean war prisoners, once its ongoing war with Russia ends. Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said his country must repatriate them in adherence to international law during his exclusive interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA) last week. He explained that captured soldiers must be released and repatriated without delay after the

January 24, 2025

Kim Jong-un remains silent on Trump as North Korean parliament meets

North Korea's rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly is being held in Pyongyang on Jan. 23, 2025, in this photo released by the official Korean Central News Agency the following day. SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - North Korea's rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly held a two-day parliamentary session this week without its leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, the country's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Friday. The gathering was apparentl

January 24, 2025

North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament convenes amid Trump's return to power

SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - North Korea's rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly is reportedly convening on Wednesday for the first time this year. The gathering comes in coincidence with the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who was sworn in earlier this week. North Korea's state media, which had disclosed the gathering last month, briefly covered Trump's inauguration early in the morning, without any commentary, marking the first time it reported on him si

January 22, 2025

North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles into East Sea

SEOUL, January 14 (AJP) - North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Tuesday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff here said. According to the JCS, a slew of missiles were launched in Kanggye, North Pyongan Province around 9:30 a.m., flying approximately 250 kilometers before falling into the sea. The launch came just a week after North Korea test-launched a new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) equipped with a hypersonic warhead on Jan. 6. So

January 14, 2025