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New foreign minister puts peace on Korean Peninsula first
South Korea’s new Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has set the pursuit of peace on the Korean Peninsula — through the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue in close coordination with the United States — as the Foreign Ministry’s foremost objective in a turbulent geopolitical climate. The first top diplomat in the Lee Jae Myung administration also began his term with a public apology for the Foreign Ministry’s role under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol government, dismissing its diplomacy as driven by “domesti
July 21, 2025 -
Will Trump seek rendezvous with NK leader during APEC summit in S. Korea?
With a little over 100 days left before an Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea, questions are emerging about whether US President Donald Trump would seek to restart long-stalled diplomacy with North Korea should he decide to travel to attend the high-profile gathering. The White House has not announced whether Trump will join the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit set to take place in the southeastern city of Gyeongju from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, but observers do not rule out the possibility of
July 21, 2025 -
US stresses commitment to combating maritime NK sanctions evasion activities
WASHINGTON -- The United States on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to addressing maritime activities that evade sanctions against North Korea, as it co-hosted a maritime security conference in Cote d'Ivoire this week. The State Department reiterated the commitment after it, the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa and Cote d'Ivoire's Ministry of Transport co-hosted the Global Maritime Security and Sanctions Enforcement Conference in Abidjan on Wednesday and Thursday. The conference
July 19, 2025 -
N. Korea releases water from dam without prior notice
North Korea appears to be releasing water from a dam near the inter-Korean border without giving prior notice, the environment ministry said Friday. The ministry said satellite imagery from around noon showed the Imjin River south of the Hwanggang Dam in North Korea had widened. It also said the water level at Pilseung Bridge, the northernmost point of the Imjin River in South Korea, had risen to 70 centimeters as of 7:20 p.m., up from 49 cm three hours earlier. A water level of 1 meter triggers
July 18, 2025 -
North Korea abruptly stops admitting foreign tourists to Kalma beach resort
North Korea has decided to temporarily stop receiving foreign tourists at its new beach resort located in the coastal city of Wonsan, Pyongyang’s state-run tourism promotion website showed Friday, without providing an explanation. Less than a month after the North opened the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, boasting that it could accommodate nearly 20,000 guests, a notice has been posted on the website DPR Korea Tour that the resort is “temporarily not receiving foreign tourists.” DPR Korea To
July 18, 2025 -
Seoul finds no radiation risk in suspected North Korean discharge
South Korea said Friday it has not found any unusual levels of radioactivity or heavy metal concentrations at various sites near the inter-Korean border, which was suspected of being contaminated by a reported wastewater release from a North Korean uranium refining plant. Seoul’s Unification Ministry confirmed in a press briefing that there “were no abnormalities found” after running contamination tests for two radioactive nuclides -- uranium, cesium -- and five heavy metals -- cadmium, arsenic,
July 18, 2025 -
US official briefs UN on NK sanctions monitoring report
A US diplomat briefed UN member states on a recent report by an international North Korea sanctions monitoring team at the UN in New York on Thursday, focusing on military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, the State Department said. Seth Bailey, the department's director for Korean and Mongolian affairs, gave the briefing on the first report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a group established in October last year to monitor and report violations and evasions of UN sanction
July 18, 2025 -
Seoul should use APEC summit as catalyst for inter-Korean thaw: experts
The Lee Jae Myung administration should harness the upcoming APEC summit hosted in South Korea as an opportunity to heal fractured inter-Korean relations, according to experts in Seoul. Jang Cheol-wun, a research fellow at the government-funded Korea Institute for National Unification, emphasized the need for Seoul to “consistently signal a commitment to shifting the trajectory of inter-Korean relations” through key anniversaries and events later this year. “Seoul can use key milestones such as
July 16, 2025 -
N. Korea reports Mount Kumgang's addition to UNESCO World Heritage list
North Korea's state media on Wednesday reported the addition of its scenic Mount Kumgang to the UNESCO World Heritage list, three days after the decision was announced. "Our country's celebrated Mount Kumgang has been listed as a world cultural and natural heritage site," the Korean Central News Agency reported. The report came after the UNESCO World Heritage Committee finalized the mountain's addition to the World Heritage list Sunday, following North Korea's application for the status. The KCN
July 16, 2025 -
Chung Dong-young’s return signals softening of North Korea policy
Chung Dong-young, the Lee Jae Myung administration's nominee for unification minister, has signaled a sharp turn toward a conciliatory doctrine grounded in engagement, mutual restraint and a softened military posture. The confirmation hearing for Chung on Monday offered more than a preview of his personal stance on inter-Korean affairs — it provided a window into the likely trajectory of Seoul’s North Korea policy under the new liberal government. Chung laid out a vision that departs markedly fr
July 15, 2025 -
Russia's FM leaves N. Korea after 3-day visit
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has left North Korea after wrapping up his three-day visit to the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, the North's state media reported Monday. Lavrov departed the country via Wonsan Kalma Airport on Sunday after being seen off by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Russia's top envoy in Pyongyang, according to the Korean Central News Agency. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met Lavrov on his yacht in Wonsan on Saturday. During the talks, Kim reaffirme
July 14, 2025 -
N. Korean leader visits fish farm under construction, urges regional economic development
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected the construction site of an offshore fish farm in South Hamgyong Province, stressing the importance of regional economic development, state media reported Monday. Kim visited the construction site of the Ragwon County Offshore Farm the previous day, accompanied by key party officials, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The North's leader attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ragwon fish farm in February. It is the North's second offs
July 14, 2025 -
North Korean leader pledges ‘unconditional’ support in meeting with Russian envoy
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un assured Moscow’s top diplomat that Pyongyang will fully support all actions taken by Russia in its war against Ukraine, the North’s state media said Sunday. In a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov the previous day, Kim "reaffirmed that the DPRK is ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by the Russian leadership as regards the tackling of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis,” the Korean Central News Agency reported
July 13, 2025 -
Russian FM meets Kim Jong-un during visit to N. Korea
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday during his visit to North Korea, Moscow's foreign ministry said. In a Telegram post, the ministry released a photo of Kim smiling while holding Lavrov's hand with both hands. In a separate post of a video that shows Kim greeting Lavrov with a hug, the ministry said Lavrov was "received" by the North Korean leader. The ministry indicated their meeting took place in the coastal resort city of Wonsan. Earlie
July 12, 2025 -
N. Korea, China to resume Pyongyang-Beijing passenger train services after 5-yr hiatus: NHK
North Korea and China have agreed to resume passenger train services between Pyongyang and Beijing as early as next month after a five-year hiatus, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported Saturday. The two countries are in final talks for the resumption of such services between their capitals after their suspension in January 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the broadcaster said, citing multiple sources. It quoted a source as saying that North Korean travel to China increased after May this year for
July 12, 2025