Panmunjom tour halt stokes speculation of Trump-Kim meeting

South Korea has suspended all field trips to the truce village of Panmunjom in Gyeonggi Province from late October through early November, a move that has stirred speculation of a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The Unification Ministry confirmed Monday that its special tour program to the Joint Security Area will be paused for the period surrounding the summit, which will be held

Oct. 20, 2025

N. Korea appears to have released water from border dam without prior notice

North Korea appears to have released water from a dam north of the inter-Korean border again without giving prior notice to the South, officials said Sunday. Based on satellite imagery, the North appeared to have discharged water from Hwanggang Dam, located upstream of the Imjin River, at about 3 p.m., according to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. The North is presumed to have released water to control the border dam's water level as the region has received rainfall since Oct. 10

Oct. 19, 2025

One N. Korean soldier crosses heavily fortified border into S. Korea

A North Korean soldier has been taken into custody after crossing the heavily fortified border Sunday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, in the first known defection of a North Korean soldier since the Lee Jae Myung government came into power. "The military on Sunday secured the custody of one North Korean soldier who crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the central section of the border," the JCS said. South Korean troops detected and tracked the soldier to conduct normally an ope

Oct. 19, 2025

Surprise meeting between Trump, North Korean leader at APEC summit unlikely: experts

A surprise meeting between the US and North Korean leaders during US President Donald Trump's visit to Asia late this month appears unlikely, experts said, tempering speculation raised by a recent CNN report that Washington officials have quietly been weighing such an encounter. CNN reported Saturday that Trump administration officials were “privately discussing” the possibility of a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un during the US president’s planned trip to Asia later this month, though no

Oct. 19, 2025

N. Korea's FM vows to strengthen 'strategic, tactical' cooperation with Russia

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has said the North will strengthen its strategic and tactical cooperation with Russia, assessing the bilateral ties are developing in "unprecedented width and depth," state media reported Friday. Choe made the remarks in her speech at a reception, hosted by the Russian Embassy in North Korea, the previous day on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations, according to the Korean Central News Agen

Oct. 17, 2025

Russian delegation arrives in Pyongyang for joint committee meeting on economic cooperation

A delegation from Russia's industry and trade ministry has arrived in Pyongyang to attend a meeting of the joint committee on economy and trade cooperation between the two countries, the North's state media reported Thursday. The forestry-sector delegation, led by Grigory Gusev, deputy director of the industry and trade ministry's timber industry department, arrived in the country via Pyongyang International Airport the previous day, the Korean Central News Agency said. The delegation will atten

Oct. 16, 2025

Unification Ministry reshuffle aims at reviving dialogue, Kaesong

The Lee Jae Myung administration on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping reorganization of the Unification Ministry that seeks to revive inter-Korean dialogue and expand economic cooperation with North Korea. The plan includes reinstating the ministry’s Office for Inter-Korean Dialogue around two years after it was abolished, and creating a new office dedicated to promoting inter-Korean economic projects. Operations at the Kaesong Industrial Complex, shuttered since 2016, will also be resumed. The Unific

Oct. 14, 2025

N. Korean Embassy in Russia hosts banquet marking ruling party anniversary

The North Korean Embassy in Russia has hosted a banquet marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea, attended by key Russian parliamentary and government officials, state media reported Tuesday. The gathering took place last Thursday, attended by North Korean Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol and a number of Russian officials, including Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation; Ivan Melnikov, first vice chairman of the State Duma;

Oct. 14, 2025

High-profile chief of NK's abolished body appears to retain director title

Ri Son-gwon, director of North Korea's now-abolished United Front Department, which handled affairs with South Korea, appears to have retained his director title even after the organ's dissolution, South Korea's unification ministry said Monday. "Director Ri Son-gwon is presumed to retain his director rank," Koo Byoung-sam, the ministry's spokesperson, said in a briefing following a report of North Korean state media calling him by the title. The Korean Central News Agency said Ri delivered a sp

Oct. 13, 2025

N. Korea's Kim says national potential fully showcased in party anniversary events

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has watched a mass gymnastic and art performance with people who helped host recent celebrations marking a party anniversary, saying they demonstrated the country's "potentials and might." Kim watched the performance, titled "Long Live the Workers' Party of Korea," the previous day, congratulating those who participated in and worked on the recent celebration events for the party's 80th anniversary, the Korean Central News Agency said. On the eve and day of the Oc

Oct. 13, 2025

N. Korea's Kim pays respects at family mausoleum for party founding anniversary

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun family mausoleum to pay respects to former leaders on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea, state media said Monday. Kim, "who organized and guided the grand celebrations of the 80th founding anniversary of the WPK in a responsible manner, respectfully presented the great glory won by the party and state to the great leaders," the Korean Central News Agency said. The mausoleum enshrines the

Oct. 13, 2025

Foreign beer and luxury goods spotted in Pyongyang despite UN sanctions

Recent social media posts by Chinese nationals in Pyongyang have revealed the widespread availability of foreign and luxury goods in North Korean department stores and restaurants, raising questions about the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions. A video uploaded to the platform Xiaohongshu on Oct. 4 by a user claiming to be involved in North Korea-China trade shows aisles of foreign products at Pyongyang’s Ryugyong Golden Plaza, a shopping mall that opened in July 2023. The user described

Oct. 12, 2025

N. Korea releases water from border dam without prior notice

North Korea has released water from a dam north of the inter-Korean border without giving prior notice to the South, local authorities said Sunday. The water level at the Pilseung Bridge, the northernmost point of the Imjin River in South Korea, had risen to 1 meter around midnight, according to Yeoncheon County in Gyeonggi Province and the operator of the Gunnam Dam. An official from the Gunnam Dam notified Yeoncheon County at 3:50 a.m. that North Korea appeared to be releasing water from the H

Oct. 12, 2025

Xi tells N. Korea's Kim that China is ready to strengthen strategic cooperation on intl. issues

Chinese President Xi Jinping has told North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that China is ready to solidify strategic cooperation on international and regional issues, the North's state media reported Sunday. Xi reaffirmed the Chinese commitment in a message sent to Kim on Thursday in response to the North Korean leader's congratulatory telegram for the 76th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, according to the Korean Central News Agency. North Korea and China are "great neighbors,

Oct. 12, 2025

Premiers of N. Korea, China hold talks in Pyongyang

North Korea's Premier Pak Thae-song has held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, with Pak voicing support for Beijing's policies on Taiwan and other core national interests, the North's state media reported Sunday. The meeting took place Saturday as Li was visiting Pyongyang to attend events marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea, according to the Korean Central News Agency. Pak said Li's visit provided an important opportunity to elevate North Korea-China r

Oct. 12, 2025