North Korea deploys new destroyer amid push for naval buildup SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - North Korea has deployed a new 5,000-ton destroyer ready for combat, state media reported on Wednesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the reclusive country's leader Kim Jong-un attended a commissioning ceremony for the Choe Hyon held in Nampo the previous day, expressing expectations that his country's naval capabilities would be strengthened to what he described as "admirable beyond imagination." T June 24, 2026

North's Kim vows stronger nuclear force, denounces Seoul's sub push SEOUL, June 23 (AJP)-North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reiterated the state ambition to expand as a nuclear-arms power while denouncing South Korea's push on homegrown nuclear-powered submarine, state media reported Monday. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Tuesday said the Workers’ Party of Korea held an enlarged plenary meeting of its Central Committee from June 20 to 22 to review progress on decisions adopted at the party’s ninth congress and discuss futur June 23, 2026

Pyongyang calls Russo-NK treaty legal weapon SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - North Korea on Friday marked the second anniversary of its mutual defense treaty with Russia, hailing the pact as an essential legal weapon to reshape the global order. The declaration solidifies a permanent military alignment that directly threatens the security architecture of South Korea. The formalization of the alliance comes as Pyongyang completely shuns Seoul, having recently redefined South Korea as a permanently hostile enemy state rather than a par June 19, 2026

N. Korea denuclearization remains top priority for US: senior US diplomat SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) -The Trump administration places North Korea's denuclearization high on its foreign policy agenda and remains open to dialogue with Pyongyang, while signaling that any transfer of wartime operational control to South Korea will proceed cautiously and under military guidance, a senior U.S. diplomat said Thursday. David Wilezol, deputy assistant secretary of state for Japan, Korea and Mongolia, made the remarks during a Korea-U.S. Strategic Industries and Se June 19, 2026

North Korean cargo ship sinking raises questions on sanctions evasion SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - A North Korean cargo ship sank off China's eastern coast late last year after colliding with a fishing vessel, Voice of America (VOA) reported on Wednesday. Citing recently disclosed records from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the U.S. government-funded broadcaster said the North Korean-flagged UNSON 7, which departed from Nampo, South Pyongan Province, carrying about 4,600 tons of coal and was reportedly bound for Chongjin, collided with June 17, 2026

North Korean leader sends congratulatory letter for Xi's birthday SEOUL, June 16 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a congratulatory message along with a flower basket to Chinese President Xi Jinping on his birthday, state media reported on Monday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim delivered his wishes for Xi's "good health" in the message sent last Sunday, while praising his "great achievements" on the occasion of Xi's 73rd birthday. It comes after Xi visited Pyo June 16, 2026

South Korean president offers olive branch in Vatican despite Pyongyang's snub SEOUL, June 14 (AJP) -South Korean President Lee Jae Myung used a Vatican peace gathering on Sunday to renew his offer of dialogue and reconciliation with North Korea, insisting that the "ember of hope" for inter-Korean cooperation remains alive despite Pyongyang's continued refusal to engage with Seoul. Speaking at a special Mass for peace and solidarity at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, Lee framed his administration's North Korea policy a June 14, 2026

North Korea reaffirms to treat South as enemy state upon Korea-EU summit SEOUL, June 14 (AJP) -North Korea blasted South Korea and the European Union's recent summit statement condemning Pyongyang's military cooperation with Russia, accusing President Lee Jae Myung of abandoning his peace rhetoric and insisting it will continue to regard Seoul as a permanent hostile state. In a statement carried Saturday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, a spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry said South Korea remains "an invariable June 14, 2026

North Korea's nuclear spending rises as global focus on denuclearization fades SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - North Korea spent an estimated $656 million on its nuclear weapons program last year, according to a new report that underscores Pyongyang's steady advance toward a larger nuclear arsenal as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with intensifying great-power rivalry, push denuclearization further down the global agenda. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, or ICAN, said in its latest report that the world's nine nuclear-armed sta June 10, 2026

North Korean state media highlights Xi's visit with extensive front-page coverage SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - North Korean state media gave extensive coverage to Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Pyongyang earlier this week, highlighting close ties between the two traditional allies. In its Wednesday edition, the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper devoted four of its six pages to Xi's two-day visit and his summit with leader Kim Jong-un. Along with more than 50 photos, it carried detailed accounts of Xi's itinerary in Pyongyang, from his arrival on June 10, 2026