North Korea

  • North Korea could expand nuclear stockpile to over 400 warheads by 2040, expert warns
    North Korea could expand nuclear stockpile to over 400 warheads by 2040, expert warns SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - North Korea is estimated to currently possess up to 150 nuclear warheads, with the potential to expand to over 400 by 2040 if its production capabilities increase, an expert said at a forum in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee Sang-kyu, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), pointed out that the ongoing expansion of nuclear plants and other facilities under the oversight of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will significantly acceler November 26, 2025
  • North Korean leader attends ceremony for new hydropower plant
    North Korean leader attends ceremony for new hydropower plant SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a ceremony marking the completion of a hydropower plant in Kangwon Province, state media reported on Friday. According to the state-run Rodong Sinmun, Kim visited the plant the previous day, the sixth to be built in the region amid the country's chronic electricity shortage. In his speech, Kim described the plant's completion as a significant achievement, praising the collaboration between the militar November 21, 2025
  • North Korean leader makes rare visits to security and judicial agencies
    North Korean leader makes rare visits to security and judicial agencies SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited several key security and judicial agencies, emphasizing their role in defending the regime, state media reported on Wednesday. According to the state-run on the occasion of the November 19, 2025
  • North Korea condemns Seouls recent security deal with Washington as confrontational
    North Korea condemns Seoul's recent security deal with Washington as 'confrontational' SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - North Korea denounced a joint fact sheet released last week outlining trade and security agreements between Seoul and Washington, warning that it will take countermeasures against what it called a "confrontational stance," state media reported on Tuesday. In a lengthy commentary, the state-run to rem November 18, 2025
  • South Korea proposes military talks with North to set clear demarcation line
    South Korea proposes military talks with North to set clear demarcation line SEOUL, November 17 (AJP) - South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense has formally proposed talks with North Korea to establish a clear baseline for the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), in what would be the first military dialogue between the two sides since 2018. Kim Hong-chul, director of the ministry’s Defense Policy Office, said Monday that North Korean troops have repeatedly crossed the MDL while constructing tactical roads, laying fences and planting mines insi November 17, 2025
  • North Korea slams G7 statement on denuclearization
    North Korea slams G7 statement on denuclearization SEOUL, November 14 (AJP) - North Korean on Friday denounced a recent joint statement by the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries earlier this week. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui expressed "strong dissatisfaction and regret" over what she described as "hostile acts" by the G7 ministers in condemning the statement. The statement came on Wednesday, after the ministers wrappe November 14, 2025
  • North Korean, Laotian FMs meet in Pyongyang to strengthen ties
    North Korean, Laotian FMs meet in Pyongyang to strengthen ties SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - The foreign ministers of North Korea and Laos met in Pyongyang to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and her Laotian counterpart Thongsavanh Phomvihane pledged to implement agreements reached by their leaders in October to strengthen friendship and cooperation between the two countries, according to KCNA. Their meetin November 13, 2025
  • North Korean hackers spread malware through stolen smartphone accounts, report reveals
    North Korean hackers spread malware through stolen smartphone accounts, report reveals SEOUL, November 10 (AJP) - North Korean hackers have remotely inflicted smartphones and PCs with malware and bogus apps to steal sensitive data, according to a report released on Monday by Genians, a South Korean cybersecurity company. According to the report, one case involved a hacker who reset a South Korean psychologist's Android-based smartphone and used a stolen KakaoTalk account to spread malware disguised as a "stress relief program" to the victim's con November 10, 2025
  • North Korea launches ballistic missile into East Sea
    North Korea launches ballistic missile into East Sea SEOUL, November 7 (AJP) - North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea, military authorities said on Friday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected suspicious activities at around noon, shortly before the missile was fired from North Pyongan Province. According to JCS, the missile, believed to be short-range, flew 700 kilometers before splashing into the sea near Kilju in North Hyanggyong Province. Friday's launch is the seventh this November 7, 2025
  • Former North Korean figurehead laid to rest in state funeral
    Former North Korean figurehead laid to rest in state funeral SEOUL, November 6 (AJP) - A state funeral for North Korea's former nominal head of state Kim Yong-nam was held in Pyongyang on Wednesday with its leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, according to state media. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday that the funeral service began with a eulogy by premier Pak Tae-song, praising the late senior official's "lifelong dedication" to the reclusive country. Mourners observed a moment of silence, fo November 6, 2025