SEOUL, Feb 25 (Reuters) – South Korea and the United States will conduct major joint military drills known as Freedom Shield from March 9 to 19, military officials from the countries said on Wednesday.
The annual exercise is “defensive in nature”, officials said at a briefing, though the designation has not prevented it from being a frequent flashpoint with North Korea, which has long denounced the drills as a rehearsal for invasion.
The exercise will also serve as an opportunity to support ongoing preparations for the transfer of U.S. wartime operational control to South Korea, they said.
Past drills, including last year’s iteration, featured multi-domain and command-post training aimed at supporting this readiness.
South Korea aims to complete the handover of military command from the U.S. before President Lee Jae Myung’s term ends in 2030.
South Korean and U.S. officials said the exercise by the allies next month would incorporate deterrence scenarios related to North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
President Lee has sought to improve strained ties with North Korea, though those efforts have so far been rebuffed by Pyongyang.
South Korean media previously reported that Seoul had proposed scaling back field training exercises during Freedom Shield to support this outreach, but that it was met with U.S. resistance.
Talks on adjusting the field drills are still ongoing and will continue up to the last minute, officials told Reuters.
North Korea is currently holding the ruling Workers’ Party’s Ninth Congress, the biggest political event in its calendar, which analysts say may conclude with a military parade in Pyongyang to showcase its latest military capabilities.
(Reporting by Kyu-seok Shim and Joyce LeeEditing by Ed Davies)
SEOUL, Feb 23 (Reuters) – South Korea has asked the Russian embassy in Seoul to take down a large banner reading “Victory will be ours”, its foreign ministry said, just ahead of this week’s fourth anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine.
The ministry said in a statement on Sunday that it had conveyed its concerns to the embassy without clarifying whether it had received a response.
The roughly 15-metre (49.21 ft) banner, in the colours of the Russian flag and written in Russian, was hung on the embassy’s outer wall in central Seoul ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday.
The banner remained in place on Monday.
In its statement, the ministry reiterated South Korea’s position that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal.
The ministry also said that military cooperation between Russia and North Korea should stop, describing it as a grave threat to South Korea’s security and a violation of the U.N. Charter and U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Earlier this month, Russian Ambassador to South Korea Georgy Zinoviev praised what he described as North Korean troops’ role in fighting in Russia’s Kursk region, according to media reports.
Under a mutual defence pact with Russia in 2024, North Korea sent some 14,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian troops against Ukraine, where more than 6,000 of them were killed, according to South Korean, Ukrainian and Western sources.
The Russian embassy in Seoul could not immediately be reached for comment by phone. An automated voice message stated the embassy was closed due to a public holiday on Monday.
(Reporting by Kyu-seok ShimEditing by Ed Davies and Saad Sayeed)
SEOUL, Feb 22 (Reuters) – North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party held the third day of its Ninth Congress on Saturday, with leader Kim Jong Un continuing a report reviewing the party’s work in the last five years, state media said on Sunday.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim’s report assessed the party’s activities over the past term and outlined a new strategy and goals for the next five years, including tasks across all sectors aimed at advancing socialist construction.
Delegates said the report set out strategic and tactical directions for what it described as a new stage of national development and reaffirmed confidence in the country’s future, KCNA reported.
(Reporting by Kyu-seok Shim; editing by Diane Craft)
SEOUL, Feb 16 (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over the completion ceremony of a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of troops who died in overseas military operations, state media KCNA said on Monday.
In a speech, Kim said the new district symbolized the “spirit and sacrifice” of the dead troops, adding that the homes were meant to allow bereaved families to “take pride in their sons and husbands and live happily.”
Kim said he had pushed to finish the project “even one day earlier” in the hope it might bring “some small comfort” to the troops’ families.
Under a mutual defense pact with Russia, in 2024 North Korea sent some 14,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, where more than 6,000 of them were killed, according to South Korean, Ukrainian and Western sources.
North Korea has staged multiple public ceremonies in recent months to honor its war dead, including the unveiling of a new memorial complex in Pyongyang adorned with sculptures of troops.
The opening comes ahead of the ninth congress of the ruling Workers’ Party, which is set to convene in late February and is expected to serve as a major political showcase for Kim’s achievements and policy priorities.
(Reporting by Kyu-seok Shim in Seoul; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
SEOUL, Feb 8 (Reuters) – North Korea will convene the 9th Congress in late February in Pyongyang, state media KCNA reported on Sunday, without elaborating on the date.
The ruling Workers’ Party’s political bureau held a meeting on Saturday to prepare for the Congress, including the agenda and the timing, KCNA said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had visited various military and economic facilities ahead of the Congress, such as a cruise missile launch site and a large-scale greenhouse farm, to promote his accomplishments in national policy.
The congress is one of North Korea’s largest political events, taking place every five years to set out major policy goals.
Analysts are watching for a military parade where the country is expected to unveil various weapons and high-profile guests may make appearances.
(Reporting by Heejin Kim; editing by Diane Craft)
The Pentagon said in an unclassified national defense strategy document titled “Restoring peace through strength for a new golden age of America” on Friday, that it plans to shift more of the responsibility of deterring North Korea to South Korea.
The U.S. would take a “more limited” role in keeping North Korea in line, the Pentagon said in the document obtained by Fox News Digital.
“With its powerful military, supported by high defense spending, a robust defense industry, and mandatory conscription, South Korea is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with critical but more limited U.S. support,” the document said.
It added, “South Korea also has the will to do so, given that it faces a direct and clear threat from North Korea. This shift in the balance of responsibility is consistent with America’s interest in updating U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula. In this way, we can ensure a stronger and more mutually beneficial alliance relationship that is better aligned with America’s defense priorities, thereby setting conditions for lasting peace.”
The Pentagon said in an unclassified national defense strategy document titled “Restoring peace through strength for a new golden age of America” on Friday that it plans to shift more of the responsibility of deterring North Korea to South Korea.(Vladimir Smirnov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
The new policy plan on North Korea followed similar strategies for other parts of the world, with the wide-ranging document adding that the department will “no longer be distracted by interventionism, endless wars, regime change, and nation building. Instead, we will put our people’s practical concrete interests first.”
The document clarified the policy doesn’t mean “isolationism,” but rather a “strategic approach to the threats our nation faces.”
Further down it added, “We will insist our allies and partners do their part and lend them a helping hand when they step up.”
The Pentagon on Friday released an unclassified national defense strategy document titled “Restoring peace through strength for a new golden age of America.”(Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)
The document said under a section titled “Increase Burden-Sharing with U.S. Allies and Partners” that it plans to deter China “through strength, not confrontation,” and as the “Department rightly prioritizes Homeland defense and deterring China, other threats will persist, and our allies will be essential to dealing with all of them. Our allies will do so not as a favor to us, but out of their own interests.”
The Pentagon document said it would prioritize threats from China while emphasizing burden-sharing by allies in other areas of the world. (Sheng Jiapeng/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
On Russia, it said the country “will remain a persistent but manageable threat to NATO’s eastern members for the foreseeable future,” and on Iran, it stated that President Donald Trump has made it clear that Iran won’t be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
SEOUL, Jan 23 (Reuters) – U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for policy Elbridge Colby will visit South Korea from Sunday to Tuesday and discuss military alliance issues before travelling on to Japan, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported on Friday.
His talks with South Korean officials will likely touch on Seoul’s proposed increase in defence spending and the modernisation of the two countries’ military alliance, Yonhap said, citing an unnamed source.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry declined to confirm the report, saying questions should be directed to the U.S. side.
Colby, the Pentagon’s top defence and foreign policymaker, leads the implementation of U.S. defence strategy.
The two countries have been discussing President Donald Trump’s push for U.S. allies to shoulder a greater share of their defence cost and Washington’s realignment of its military footprint to ready its troops stationed around the world for wider missions.
South Korea hosts about 28,500 U.S. troops in combined defence against North Korea’s military threat. Seoul raised its defence budget by 7.5% for this year.
South Korea is pursuing the construction if its own nuclear-powered submarines, a plan Trump has backed.
SEOUL, Jan 20 (Reuters) – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Tuesday that there appeared to be a loophole in his country’s monitoring system to detect drones operated by civilians flying into North Korea, warning that such incidents risked inflaming tensions.
North Korea said earlier this month that a drone from South Korea was flown into its airspace recently, showing photographs of debris and aerial pictures of buildings that it alleged the drone had taken.
A South Korean task force investigating the incident has called in a civilian suspect for questioning, police said.
“It should not happen for a civilian to send a drone to North Korea for an illegal purpose,” Lee told a televised cabinet meeting. “How did we fail to check that a drone had been flown to the North?”
Lee said such action was “akin to starting a war” and created unnecessary tension with North Korea that could have a negative impact on the South Korean economy. He called for a thorough investigation and to ensure it never happened again.
Lee said that while a probe was ongoing if a South Korean citizen was found to have flown the drone they could be criminally charged for provoking Pyongyang.
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, last week urged Seoul to investigate the incident, warning that any provocations could result in terrible situations.
Lee’s administration has been seeking to improve ties with Pyongyang since he took office last year, but so far its overtures have been rebuffed by the North.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw test-flights of hypersonic missiles and called for a stronger nuclear war deterrent, state media said Monday, as Pyongyang ramps up weapons displays ahead of a major political conference.
North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said Sunday’s drill involving a hypersonic weapon system was designed to test combat readiness, sharpen missile troops’ operational skills and assess the country’s overall war deterrent.
“Through today’s launching drill, we can confirm that a very important technology task for national defense has been carried out,” Kim said, according to KCNA. “We must continuously upgrade the military means, especially offensive weapon systems.”
The announcement came a day after South Korea and Japan said they detected multiple North Korean missile launches, which they condemned as provocations. The tests also took place just hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed for China to meet with President Xi Jinping.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un, center, inspects test-flights of hypersonic missiles, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
If fully operational, a hypersonic missile would give North Korea the ability to evade U.S. and South Korean missile defense systems. While Pyongyang has conducted a series of hypersonic tests in recent years, many foreign experts remain skeptical that the weapons have achieved the necessary speed and maneuverability.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un walks on a road as he inspects test-flights of hypersonic missiles, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
The latest tests follow recent launches of what North Korea described as long-range strategic cruise missiles and new anti-air systems, along with state-released images showing progress on what it claims is its first nuclear-powered submarine.
Experts say the regime is showcasing its weapons advancements ahead of the ruling Workers’ Party congress, its first in five years. The meeting is expected to review military achievements and could signal whether Kim plans to shift his approach toward the U.S. or revive long-stalled nuclear talks.
North Korea’s nuclear program is also expected to be discussed during the summit between Lee and Xi. Lee’s office said the South Korean president plans to urge China — Pyongyang’s main ally and economic lifeline — to play “a constructive role” in easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, center left, and his wife Kim Hea Kyung arrive to depart for China at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Defending his push for nuclear expansion, Kim cited growing global instability.
“Why it is necessary is exemplified by the recent geopolitical crisis and complicated international events,” he said.
The missile launches followed Saturday’s dramatic U.S. military operation that removed Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro from power and brought him to the U.S. to face narco-terrorism conspiracy charges. North Korea condemned the operation, calling it further proof of what it described as “the rogue and brutal nature of the U.S.”
Analysts say the move is likely to reinforce Kim’s push to expand North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, which he views as essential to regime survival and national sovereignty in the face of what Pyongyang sees as U.S.-led hostility.
TRM’s report shows crypto is now embedded in state economic and security planning, not treated as a fringe asset.
A new report by blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs has revealed that governments around the world are no longer standing on the sidelines of crypto markets, with states from North Korea to Singapore actively putting blockchain networks to work as part of their national financial strategies.
However, there’s a divide between how authoritarian and democratic governments use digital assets, and this, per the report, is turning crypto into a quiet but powerful force in global finance and geopolitics.
Crypto Moves From Market Experiment to State Tool
According to TRM, blockchain’s borderless design allows countries to move value outside traditional systems built around the U.S. dollar, SWIFT, and correspondent banking, with authoritarian regimes leaning heavily on this feature.
North Korea stands out as the most aggressive example. The firm linked the country’s cyber units to exchange, DeFi, and bridge hacks worth billions of dollars, including the high-profile Bybit breach in February 2025.
Investigators traced how stolen funds were routed through mixers, shifted across blockchains, converted into stablecoins, and eventually cashed out through over-the-counter brokers in Asia. Those proceeds, TRM said, flow back into Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear programs.
Russia, for its part, has taken a different route since facing sweeping sanctions following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. While digital assets have not replaced traditional finance, TRM’s data shows they now play a supporting role in cross-border settlements with partners such as Iran, fundraising for pro-Russian groups, and large-scale mining operations that turn cheap energy into foreign currency.
Meanwhile, Iran legalized Bitcoin mining in 2019 and, according to the report, has been using domestically mined BTC to pay for imports while bypassing payment restrictions.
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A Split Path for Crypto’s Future
Not all state use of crypto is adversarial. The study portrayed democratic governments as focusing on oversight, transparency, and market stability.
In the U.S. and Europe, for instance, agencies are now relying on blockchain analytics to trace ransomware payments, enforce sanctions, and support cross-border investigations. Europe’s MiCA framework, now in force, requires strict licensing and monitoring for crypto firms, while U.S. regulators are still refining digital asset rules through bodies such as FinCEN and OFAC.
Asia offers a more collaborative model, with Singapore’s Monetary Authority working closely with private firms on compliance technology, while Japan has strengthened exchange supervision following past hacks.
Additionally, many central banks in the region are testing government-issued digital currencies and tokenized reserves, borrowing ideas from public blockchains while keeping tight state control.
The contrast is stark. Where North Korea uses crypto to dodge restrictions and fund weapons, countries like Singapore and those in the EU have applied similar tools to modernize payments and supervision. TRM argued that the difference comes down to visibility and enforcement. Public blockchains record every transaction, but only strong analytics and cooperation can turn that data into accountability.
As crypto markets continue to mature, the report suggests this divide will widen. Authoritarian states are likely to keep probing digital assets for workarounds, while democratic governments will push for rules that tie innovation to oversight.
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North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters Sunday, according to South Korean officials. The launches took place just hours before South Korea’s president left for China for talks expected to cover North Korea’s nuclear program.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected several ballistic missile launches from North Korea’s capital region around 7:50 a.m. It stated that the missiles flew approximately 560 miles and that South Korean and U.S. authorities were analyzing the details of the launches.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces operating in that region, stated that there was no “immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies.”
“We are aware of the missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners,” the command said in a statement. “Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies. The United States remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region.”
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Defense Ministry noted the launches violated U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban any ballistic activities by North Korea. It urged North Korea to cease provocative actions immediately and respond to South Korea’s push to restart talks and restore peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said that at least two missile launches by North Korea have been confirmed. “They are a serious problem, threatening the peace and security of our nation, the region and the world,” Koizumi told reporters.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, front right, visits a major munitions factory at an undisclosed place in North Korea Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.
Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
The launches were the latest weapons demonstration by North Korea in recent weeks. Experts say North Korea is aiming to show off or review its achievements in the defense sector ahead of its upcoming ruling party congress, the first of its kind in five years. Observers are watching the Workers Party congress to see whether North Korea will set a new policy on the U.S. and resume long-stalled talks between the two countries.
North Korea has been focusing on testing activities to enlarge its nuclear arsenal since its leader Kim Jong Un’s summitry with U.S. President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019. Kim has also boosted his diplomatic credentials by aligning with Russia over its war in Ukraine and tightening relations with China. Observers say Kim would believe his leverage has sharply increased to wrest concessions from Trump if they sit down for talks again.
North Korea hasn’t announced when it will hold the congress, but South Korea’s spy service said it will likely occur in January or February.
Sunday’s launches also came hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed for China for a summit with President Xi Jinping. During the four-day trip, Lee’s office said he would request China, North Korea’s major ally and biggest trading partner, to take “a constructive role” in efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea and the U.S. have long asked China to exercise its influence on North Korea to persuade it to return to talks or give up its nuclear program. But there are questions on how big of a leverage China has on its socialist neighbor. China, together with Russia, has also repeatedly blocked the U.S. and others’ attempts to toughen economic sanctions on North Korea in recent years.
Later Sunday, South Korea convened an emergency national security council meeting to discuss the North Korean missile launches. The council reported details of the launches and unspecified South Korean steps to Lee, according to the presidential office.
The launches followed Saturday’s dramatic U.S. military operation that ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power and brought him to the U.S. to face narco-terrorism conspiracy charges. It represented America’s most assertive action to achieve regime change in a country since the nation’s 2003 invasion of Iraq.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday slammed the U.S. operation, saying it again shows “the rogue and brutal nature of the U.S.” A ministry statement said it denounces the U.S. act as “the most serious form of encroachment of sovereignty.”
“Kim Jong Un may feel vindicated about his efforts to build a nuclear deterrent, as he likely did after Trump’s strikes on Iran,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. “However, leaders of hostile regimes will probably live with greater paranoia after seeing how quickly Maduro was extracted from his country to stand trial in the United States.”
The official Korean Central News Agency said Sunday Kim visited a weapons factory on Saturday to review multipurpose precision guided weapons produced there. KCNA cited Kim as ordering officials to expand the current production capacity by about 2.5 times.
Last Sunday, North Korea test-fired what it called long-range strategic cruise missiles. On Dec. 25, North Korea released photos showing apparent progress in the construction of its first nuclear-powered submarine.
SEOUL, Jan 4 (Reuters) – North Korea has denounced the U.S. strikes on Venezuela as “the most serious form of encroachment of sovereignty,” state news agency KCNA said on Sunday.
“The incident is another example that clearly confirms once again the rogue and brutal nature of the United States,” KCNA said, citing a spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry.
The statement came after North Korea launched ballistic missiles earlier on Sunday, the day the leader of South Korea begins a state visit to China, Pyongyang’s chief ally.
Pyongyang said the current situation in Venezuela “caused a catastrophic consequence to ensuring the identity of the regional and international relations structure.”
(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea Sunday, its neighbors said, just hours before South Korea’s president leaves for China for talks expected to cover North Korea’s nuclear program.South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected several ballistic missile launches from North Korea’s capital region around 7:50 a.m. It said the missiles flew about 900 kilometers (560 miles) and that South Korea and U.S. authorities were analyzing details of the launches.Video above: Wildfires in South Korea destroyed an ancient Buddhist templeThe Joint Chiefs of Staff said that South Korea maintains a readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea and is closely exchanging information with the U.S. and Japan on the North’s missile launches.Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said that at least two missile launches by North Korea have been confirmed. “They are a serious problem, threatening the peace and security of our nation, the region and the world,” Koizumi told reporters.North Korea ramps up weapons display ahead of political meetThe launches were the latest weapons demonstration by North Korea in recent weeks. Experts say North Korea is aiming to show off or review its achievements in the defense sector ahead of its upcoming ruling party congress, the first of its kind in five years. Observers are watching the Workers Party congress to see whether North Korea will set a new policy on the U.S. and respond to its calls to resume long-stalled talks.North Korea has been focusing on testing activities to enlarge its nuclear arsenal since its leader Kim Jong Un’s summitry with U.S. President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019. Kim has also boosted his diplomatic credentials by aligning with Russia over its war in Ukraine and tightening relations with China. Observers say Kim would believe his leverage has sharply increased to wrest concessions from Trump if they sit down for talks again.North Korea hasn’t announced when it will hold the congress, but South Korea’s spy service said it will likely occur in January or February.Launches comes before South Korean leader’s trip to ChinaSunday’s launches also came hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departs for China for a summit with President Xi Jinping. During the four-day trip, Lee’s office said he would request China, North Korea’s major ally and biggest trading partner, to take “a constructive role” in efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.South Korea and the U.S. have long asked China to exercise its influence on North Korea to persuade it to return to talks or give up its nuclear program. But there are questions on how big of a leverage China has on its socialist neighbor. China, together with Russia, has also repeatedly blocked the U.S. and others’ attempts to toughen economic sanctions on North Korea in recent years.Later Sunday, South Korea convened an emergency national security council meeting where officials urged North Korea to stop ballistic missile launches, which violate U.N. Security Council resolutions. The council reported details of the launches and unspecified South Korean steps to Lee, according to the presidential office.North Korea hasn’t commented on US operation in VenezuelaThe launches followed Saturday’s dramatic U.S. military operation that ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power and brought him to the U.S. to face narco-terrorism conspiracy charges. It represented America’s most assertive action to achieve regime change in a country since the nation’s 2003 invasion of Iraq.“Kim Jong Un may feel vindicated about his efforts to build a nuclear deterrent, as he likely did after Trump’s strikes on Iran,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. “However, leaders of hostile regimes will probably live with greater paranoia after seeing how quickly Maduro was extracted from his country to stand trial in the United States.”North Korea’s state media hasn’t commented on the U.S. operation.The official Korean Central News Agency said Sunday Kim visited a weapons factory on Saturday to review multipurpose precision guided weapons produced there. KCNA cited Kim as ordering officials to expand the current production capacity by about 2.5 times.Last Sunday, North Korea test-fired what it called long-range strategic cruise missiles. On Dec. 25, North Korea released photos showing apparent progress in the construction of its first nuclear-powered submarine.Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this report.
, Seoul —
North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea Sunday, its neighbors said, just hours before South Korea’s president leaves for China for talks expected to cover North Korea’s nuclear program.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected several ballistic missile launches from North Korea’s capital region around 7:50 a.m. It said the missiles flew about 900 kilometers (560 miles) and that South Korea and U.S. authorities were analyzing details of the launches.
Video above: Wildfires in South Korea destroyed an ancient Buddhist temple
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that South Korea maintains a readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea and is closely exchanging information with the U.S. and Japan on the North’s missile launches.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said that at least two missile launches by North Korea have been confirmed. “They are a serious problem, threatening the peace and security of our nation, the region and the world,” Koizumi told reporters.
North Korea ramps up weapons display ahead of political meet
The launches were the latest weapons demonstration by North Korea in recent weeks. Experts say North Korea is aiming to show off or review its achievements in the defense sector ahead of its upcoming ruling party congress, the first of its kind in five years. Observers are watching the Workers Party congress to see whether North Korea will set a new policy on the U.S. and respond to its calls to resume long-stalled talks.
North Korea has been focusing on testing activities to enlarge its nuclear arsenal since its leader Kim Jong Un’s summitry with U.S. President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019. Kim has also boosted his diplomatic credentials by aligning with Russia over its war in Ukraine and tightening relations with China. Observers say Kim would believe his leverage has sharply increased to wrest concessions from Trump if they sit down for talks again.
North Korea hasn’t announced when it will hold the congress, but South Korea’s spy service said it will likely occur in January or February.
Launches comes before South Korean leader’s trip to China
Sunday’s launches also came hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departs for China for a summit with President Xi Jinping. During the four-day trip, Lee’s office said he would request China, North Korea’s major ally and biggest trading partner, to take “a constructive role” in efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea and the U.S. have long asked China to exercise its influence on North Korea to persuade it to return to talks or give up its nuclear program. But there are questions on how big of a leverage China has on its socialist neighbor. China, together with Russia, has also repeatedly blocked the U.S. and others’ attempts to toughen economic sanctions on North Korea in recent years.
Later Sunday, South Korea convened an emergency national security council meeting where officials urged North Korea to stop ballistic missile launches, which violate U.N. Security Council resolutions. The council reported details of the launches and unspecified South Korean steps to Lee, according to the presidential office.
North Korea hasn’t commented on US operation in Venezuela
The launches followed Saturday’s dramatic U.S. military operation that ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power and brought him to the U.S. to face narco-terrorism conspiracy charges. It represented America’s most assertive action to achieve regime change in a country since the nation’s 2003 invasion of Iraq.
“Kim Jong Un may feel vindicated about his efforts to build a nuclear deterrent, as he likely did after Trump’s strikes on Iran,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. “However, leaders of hostile regimes will probably live with greater paranoia after seeing how quickly Maduro was extracted from his country to stand trial in the United States.”
North Korea’s state media hasn’t commented on the U.S. operation.
The official Korean Central News Agency said Sunday Kim visited a weapons factory on Saturday to review multipurpose precision guided weapons produced there. KCNA cited Kim as ordering officials to expand the current production capacity by about 2.5 times.
Last Sunday, North Korea test-fired what it called long-range strategic cruise missiles. On Dec. 25, North Korea released photos showing apparent progress in the construction of its first nuclear-powered submarine.
Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this report.
SEOUL, Jan 4 (Reuters) – North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement on Sunday.
(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin and Jack Kim; Editing by Diane Craft)
SEOUL, Dec 23 (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the opening ceremonies of hotels in a tourist zone of the country with his daughter Ju Ae, as he sought to highlight the country’s economic progress before a key party congress due to take place early next year.
Five hotels opened on Saturday and Sunday in North Korea’s Samjiyon tourist zone, in the northeast part of the Korean peninsula near the border with China, state media KCNA said on Tuesday.
Kim, who attended the ceremonies on Saturday, toured the upmarket hotels with Ju Ae, state media photographs showed.
Some analysts view Kim’s teenage daughter as the frontrunner to become the country’s next leader.
Kim said the hotels were “clear proof of the rising status of our people and the development potential of our country,” according to KCNA.
The North Korean leader has attended multiple opening ceremonies of facilities in the past month, including three regional factory openings last week alone.
North Korea is expected to hold its first party congress in five years in early 2026, where a new development plan for the next five years is expected to be unveiled. State media such as Rodong Sinmun, have been urging an all-out public effort to complete major projects ahead of the gathering.
SEOUL, Dec 12 (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised his country’s achievements in 2025, which included sending troops to overseas military operations, state media KCNA said on Friday.
Kim has been presiding over a key party meeting this week to note policy plans and their execution as the country prepares to convene the Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, expected early next year.
According to Kim, North Korea saw “accelerated forward momentum and redoubled self-sustainability” in 2025, KCNA said on Friday.
“Over the past year, various soldiers of our military have participated in overseas military operations to demonstrate the reputation of our military,” KCNA said, as one example of the country’s achievements.
Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin have signed a mutual defence pact, and North Korea has sent soldiers, artillery ammunition and missiles to Russia to support Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Kim said that the country’s ‘five-year’ policy plan broke through a boundary in 2025 toward full-scale development, KCNA added.
(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Chris Reese and Deepa Babington)
SEOUL, Nov 30 (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un highlighted the Air Force’s role in exercising nuclear war deterrence as he celebrated the Air Force’s 80th anniversary along with his young daughter, state media reported on Sunday.
Photos released by North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed Kim observing what appeared to be unmanned aircraft and mobile missile launchers among others.
North Korea has launched mass production of small, short-range First Person View (FPV) drones, as well as larger medium-range battlefield attack drones, a Ukrainian intelligence official told Reuters earlier.
Dressed in long leather coats, Kim and his daughter watched an air show to mark the anniversary and toured a display of aircraft such as an airborne early-warning aircraft that North Korea unveiled earlier this year, state media photographs showed.
The country’s expectations for the Air Force which, “will play a role in the exercise of the nuclear war deterrent” are truly “great”, state media KCNA cited Kim as saying.
“The Air Force should resolutely repulse and control all sorts of espionage acts and possible military provocations of the enemies,” Kim said, according to KCNA.
Kim added the Air Force would be given new strategic assets, without elaborating.
(Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Diane Craft)
NEW YORK (AP) — Nobel laureate Han Kang’s first book of nonfiction to come out in English will be released next spring.
The Korean author’s “Light and Thread” is scheduled to be published March 24 by Penguin Random House imprints in the U.S., the United Kingdom and other English-speaking regions. Published in Korean this year and translated into English by Maya West, e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris, “Light and Thread” includes Han’s Nobel lecture from 2024, along with other writings and photographs.
“As I arranged the essays, poems, diary entries, and photographs to be included in this book, I imagined all of its spaces — from the first page to the last — enveloped in light,” Han said in a statement released Friday. “I am grateful and glad that this light, imbued into this English translation, continues to encounter readers.”
Han, the first South Korean to win the Nobel literature prize, is best known for the novel “The Vegetarian,” winner of the International Booker Prize in 2016.
North Korea has warned that U.S. approval for the South to build a nuclear-powered submarine will set off a nuclear weapon “domino” effect and trigger a “hot” arms race.
Why It Matters
North Korea has pushed ahead with its development of nuclear weapons and the missiles with which to strike its perceived enemies, including the United States, despite sanctions and efforts over the years to engage it in negotiations in exchange for sanctions relief.
Pyongyang’s warning comes after the leaders of both the U.S. and North Korea suggested they could meet to renew the dialogue that they began during President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), which reflects the thinking of the North Korean leadership, said in a commentary that recent agreements between Trump and Lee “reveal the true colors of the confrontational will of the U.S. and the ROK to remain hostile towards the DPRK.”
South Korea’s official name is the Republic of Korea (ROK), while North Korea is officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
“The U.S. allowed the ROK’s possession of nuclear submarine, disregarding the danger of the global nuclear arms race…and gave green light for the enrichment of uranium and the reprocessing of nuclear waste fuel, thus laying a springboard for its development into the ‘quasi-nuclear weapons state,’” KCNA said.
“The ROK’s possession of a nuclear submarine is a strategic move for ‘its own nuclear weaponization’ and this is bound to cause a ‘nuclear domino phenomenon’ in the region and spark a hot arms race,” KCNA said.
Upgrading South Korea’s submarine fleet, which will remain conventionally armed, would help ease the operational burden on the U.S. military in the Indo-Pacific region, where it has deployed nuclear-powered submarines to counter China, its main military rival.
North Korea, which is estimated to have 50 nuclear warheads, is also developing a nuclear-powered submarine program—possibly with Russia’s help, according to South Korean officials.
In March, North Korea’s state media released photographs of what it said was an inspection tour by leader Kim Jong Un of a shipyard where its first nuclear submarine is being built.
KCNA did not refer to Trump by name in its commentary but it said the U.S-South Korean cooperation proved U.S. hostility “irrespective of regime change.”
What People Are Saying
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said in its commentary: “The U.S. and the ROK are openly ignoring the DPRK’s legitimate security concern and aggravating the regional tension…. The DPRK will take more justified and realistic countermeasures to defend the sovereignty and security interests of the state and regional peace, corresponding to the fact that the confrontational intention of the U.S. and the ROK to remain hostile towards the DPRK was formulated as their policy.”
What Happens Next
Trump told reporters on October 24 he was “open” to a potential meeting with Kim, citing their “great relationship.” It remains unclear when such a meeting might take place, and whether concessions would be on the table without steps toward denuclearization.
