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North Korea bars Western influencers from trade fair tour
North Korea has barred Western influencers from joining a delegation of tourists to an international trade fair in October, a China-based tour operator told AFP on Monday. Diplomatically isolated North Korea has welcomed sporadic groups of international visitors in recent months, including hundreds of foreign athletes in April for the first Pyongyang International Marathon in six years. China has historically been the biggest diplomatic, economic and political backer of North Korea, which remain
July 7, 2025 -
S. Korea to soon repatriate 6 N. Koreans rescued at sea: source
The South Korean government has decided to soon repatriate six North Koreans, rescued from the southern side of the inter-Korean maritime border, via a sea route, a government source said Monday. "President (Lee Jae Myung) has ordered a swift and safe repatriation because the matter of stranded people is a humanitarian issue," the high-ranking government official said on condition of anonymity, suggesting that the repatriation will take place in the near future. In May, South Korea rescued four
July 7, 2025 -
N. Korea congratulates reelected chairman of central committee at Russian communist party
North Korea has sent a congratulatory message to the reelected chairman of the central committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, according to the North's state media on Monday. The North's Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea sent the message dated Saturday to Gennady Andreyevich Zyuganov, who was unanimously reelected that day as chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation's Central Committee, according to the Korean Central News Agency. "The WPK Cent
July 7, 2025 -
North Korea opens Pyongyang trade fair to foreign visitors -- it costs $4,700
A China-based travel agency specializing in tours to North Korea is now accepting bookings for a rare trip to Pyongyang this October, promoting access to the city’s international trade fair as the highlight of the itinerary. North Korea’s trade fair in October will be among the first major international events open to outsiders since the country sealed its borders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour is priced at 3,995 euros ($4,700). Journalists, travel content creators, and social media infl
July 7, 2025 -
North Korean crossed MDL into South Korea Thursday: JCS
A North Korean male, who identified himself as a civilian, crossed the Military Demarcation Line inside the Demilitarized Zone into South Korea, the South's military officials said Friday. The individual was taken into custody after crossing the midwestern part of the land border on Thursday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message to reporters. It has yet to detect any unusual activities among the North Korean military. “Our military identified the individual in question in t
July 4, 2025 -
N. Korea cranks up rhetoric against US
North Korea's state media on Thursday escalated fiery rhetoric against the United States, as Pyongyang has shown little sign of engaging in diplomacy with Washington or Seoul, at least for now. The North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper issued the criticism, describing decades of ongoing South Korea-US military exercises as a sign that Washington's invasion ambitions against North Korea will never change. "Even now, the US is continuing its previous anti-North policy, sending strategic assets to the Ko
July 3, 2025 -
US seeks to arrest 4 N. Koreans for posing as IT workers to steal company money
US federal investigators seek to arrest four North Koreans over their alleged involvement in a scheme to steal virtual currency by posing as remote IT workers, the website of the Federal Bureau of Investigation showed Wednesday. The four men -- Kim Kwang-jin, Kang Tae-bok, Jong Pong-ju, and Chang Nam-il -- are wanted for allegedly stealing over $900,000 worth of virtual currency from two companies and laundering the proceeds of those thefts in 2022, according to an FBI notice. "Using fraudulent
July 2, 2025 -
N. Korean IT workers fraudulently landed jobs at over 100 US firms: DOJ
North Korean tech workers stole the identities of more than 80 US citizens to illegally obtain remote jobs at over 100 American companies — including many Fortune 500 firms — and stole sensitive information such as US military technology, according to the US Justice Department. The department said Monday that the orchestrated operation was part of a broader effort by the Kim Jong-un regime to funnel illicit revenue through fake employment, with help from enablers in the US, China, the United Ara
July 1, 2025 -
N. Korean leader flaunts Russia ties from battlefield to stage
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un put Pyongyang’s growing alignment with Moscow on full display — from the battlefield to cultural exchanges — by attending a concert, where scenes of North Korean troops fighting for Russia and the repatriated remains of fallen soldiers were shown on a large background screen. Kim and Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova watched the concert at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre in the capital Pyongyang on Sunday, featuring performances by visiting Russian artists
June 30, 2025 -
Pyongyang subway system renovated with modern conveniences
The subway system in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang has undergone a major facelift in recent years to add modern conveniences, a pro-North Korea media outlet reported Monday. "The Pyongyang subway system is embracing new changes from the 2010s through the 2020s," said the Choson Sinbo, a pro-North Korean newspaper based in Japan. It said remodeling was recently completed at several metro stations, including the Moranbong, Jonu and Pulgunbyol stations. With high-domed ceilings and lamps br
June 30, 2025 -
Russian culture minister visits N. Korea amid deepening ties
Russia's Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova has visited North Korea to mark the first anniversary of the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, the North's state media reported Sunday. A Russian culture ministry delegation led by Lyubimova arrived in Pyongyang on Saturday at the invitation of the North's culture ministry to commemorate the treaty's anniversary, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The two countries signed the bilateral treaty, which includes a mutual def
June 29, 2025 -
Six Americans caught trying to send bottles to North Korea
Six American nationals were caught early Friday in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, while attempting to send plastic bottles filled with rice, $1 bills and Bibles to North Korea. The group, ranging in age from their 20s to 50s, allegedly tried to launch about 1,300 bottles into the sea at around 1 a.m. on Friday, according to South Korean police. The South Korean military, which had been monitoring the coastline using surveillance cameras, spotted the group and reported them to police. The group was caught
June 27, 2025 -
N. Korea targets Russian tourists for new beach resort: Seoul
North Korea is expected to court Russian tourists following the official completion of its Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone, which is set to open first to domestic travelers in July, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Thursday. The ministry also noted that construction — which had been suspended for an extended period — resumed last year, possibly with material support from Russia and the expectation of attracting Russian tourists. North Korean state media reported Thursday on the completi
June 26, 2025 -
N. Korea completes Kalma beach resort; set for opening next month
North Korea has completed the construction of a large-scale beach resort in the eastern coastal region of Kalma, with leader Kim Jong-un touting it as one of the country's greatest feats this year, state media reported Thursday. The completion ceremony for the new Kalma coastal tourist area was held "with splendor" Tuesday with Kim in attendance, the Korean Central News Agency said. The KCNA described the new site as housing hotels and hostels capable of accommodating nearly 20,000 guests, both
June 26, 2025 -
N. Korea vows revenge on US on war anniversary
North Korea has staged various rallies and events inciting anti-American sentiment and pledging retaliation as the country marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, state media reported Wednesday. Students, female workers and members of North Korea's largest women's organization gathered in Pyongyang the previous day, vowing to retaliate against the United States over what were described as Korean War atrocities, according to the Korean Central News Agency. During the
June 25, 2025