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N. Korea strongly denounces US capture of Venezuela's Maduro
North Korea on Sunday "strongly" denounced the US military strike that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, calling the ouster of Maduro "the most serious form of encroachment of sovereignty." The North's foreign ministry made the remarks as US President Donald Trump said Washington has captured Maduro and his wife in a large-scale military strike. The North's foreign ministry "strongly denounces the US hegemony-seeking act committed in Venezuela as the most serious form of encroachment of
Jan. 4, 2026 -
North Korea fires ballistic missiles ahead of Seoul-Beijing summit
North Korea fired what is believed to be a number of ballistic missiles into the East Sea early Sunday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The launches continued the show of force and military development it has displayed in recent weeks, but the timing has drawn assessments that Pyongyang may be sending a message to Seoul and its allies. Sunday’s missile came a day ahead of South Korea President Lee Jae Myung’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and shortly after the US took Venez
Jan. 4, 2026 -
Cheong Wa Dae urges N. Korea to cease provocations following missile launch
The Office of National Security at the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae held an emergency meeting Sunday after North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles into the East Sea and urged Pyongyang to cease provocations. The meeting was convened by Deputy National Security Adviser Lim Jong-deuk and attended by officials from the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to analyze and assess the North's latest missile launch and review South Korea's military readiness, according to Cheong
Jan. 4, 2026 -
N. Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS
North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Sunday, South Korea's military said, in what marked the North's first display of weapons testing this year. The launch of missiles came as President Lee Jae Myung was set to depart for Beijing for summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It also came after US President Donald Trump announced that Washington has captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale military strike. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it d
Jan. 4, 2026 -
Kim Jong-un inspects greenhouse farm construction site in 1st 'field guidance' of 2026
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected the construction site of a greenhouse farm in the northwestern city of Sinuiju for his first "field guidance" of the year, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday. Kim traveled by his private train to the Sinuiju Combined Greenhouse Farm the previous day, whose construction is nearing completion, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). North Korea has been building a large greenhouse farm in vast areas of Wihwa Island, an islet in Sinui
Jan. 3, 2026 -
Unification minister urges N. Korea to return to dialogue, end hostilities
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young urged North Korea to return to dialogue Friday, saying South Korea is ready to talk with the North "on any agenda" to ease inter-Korean tensions. Chung made the remarks in his New Year's message during a ceremony at the government complex in Seoul, stressing that the two Koreas must "end inter-Korean hostilities this year." "The Lee Jae Myung administration, as a sovereign government, will fully support exchanges in the private sector and cooperation in area
Jan. 2, 2026 -
Kim Jong-un’s daughter takes center stage at New Year ceremony, fanning speculation about NK hierarchy
Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, made her first known public visit to the Kim family mausoleum on New Year’s Day, a move experts say could strengthen the narrative of her as a potential successor. North Korea’s state media, Korean Central News Agency, reported Friday that Kim visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang the previous day to mark the New Year, accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol-ju. Senior officials from the ruling Workers’ Party, the government and t
Jan. 2, 2026 -
Daughter of N. Korea's Kim pays tribute at family mausoleum for 1st time
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's teenage daughter Ju-ae has paid tribute at the family mausoleum for the first time, accompanied by her father, the North's state media images showed Friday. Her first known attendance at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the North Korean leader's late father and grandfather lie in state, came amid growing speculation about her presence in the North Korean communist dynasty's potential succession. Kim, his wife and Ju-ae, as well as key party and government o
Jan. 2, 2026 -
Russia, North Korea exchange New Year's gifts
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, said on Monday that she exchanged New Year gifts with Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In a post on Telegram, Zakharova said she received Kim’s gift via North Korean Ambassador to Russia Shin Hong-chol and, in return, sent Kim a portrait of her. Zakharova said she learned only on Sunday evening that Kim had sent a gift, adding that due to difficulties in preparing a return present on short notice, she sought
Dec. 31, 2025 -
N. Korean officials' license plates indicate power hierarchy in regime
Car license plates used by ranking North Korean officials may point to their power hierarchy in the regime, according to an analysis of state media Tuesday, with Premier Pak Thae-song appearing to be second in the order of precedence. Since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was seen riding the Aurus luxurious limousine having the license plate "7•27 0001," questions have arisen over which North Korean official holds a license plate bearing the following number. Premier Pak was detected riding a ve
Dec. 30, 2025 -
N. Korea's Kim inspects factory producing multiple rocket launchers
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a munitions factory producing multiple rocket launchers, calling for more production of the weapon system that can be used as a "strategic attack means," state media reported Tuesday. Kim visited a major munitions industry enterprise Sunday to review the production of weapons and combat equipment, the Korean Central News Agency said, without disclosing the location of the factory. Ahead of next year's key party congress, the North's leader has ramped u
Dec. 30, 2025 -
N. Korea tests long-range cruise missiles, vows 'unlimited nuclear buildup'
North Korea's show of force is continuing, with the regime testing long-range strategic cruise missiles in the West Sea on Sunday. According to the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch, where he stressed the need to maintain readiness. The KCNA quoted him as saying the regime needs to "constantly test and demonstrate the reliability and rapid response of components of nuclear deterrence." He added that the regime would continu
Dec. 29, 2025 -
Is Russian technology behind North Korea’s new nuclear submarine?
A major question is emerging over North Korea’s unveiling of what it claims to be an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered strategic guided-missile submarine — whether Russia has assisted Pyongyang in securing the naval reactor technology that would make such a leap possible. The submarine under construction, revealed during North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s on-site inspection and reported by the North's state media, the Korean Central News Agency, on Thursday, is significantly larger than the US Navy’s Vir
Dec. 28, 2025 -
N. Korea's Kim logs most public appearances in nine years in 2025
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made the most public appearances in nine years in 2025, as he increased diplomatic engagement and on-site supervision of the implementation of a five-year national development plan, data showed Sunday. Kim's public appearances, as reported by North Korea's state media, totaled 118 as of the end of November, according to data from the Korea Institute for National Unification. Including additional public activities reported by state media between Dec. 1 and 27, the
Dec. 28, 2025 -
NK leader Kim sends New Year's message to Putin, calls bilateral ties 'precious common asset'
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a message of greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of New Year's Day, calling the two countries' relations a "precious common asset," the North's state media said Saturday. In the message, Kim described this year as a "meaningful" one when the two countries "steadily wrote a great biography of the alliance" through "full mutual support and selfless encouragement," according to the Korean Central News Agency. Kim's greeting came after Putin h
Dec. 27, 2025