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President Lee proposes returning unconverted NK prisoners via China
President Lee Jae Myung on Friday raised exploring the possibility of repatriating long-term unconverted prisoners in South Korea to North Korea via China, amid stalled inter-Korean negotiations. "Even if we try to send them back to the North, there is no reaction from North Korea," Lee said during a policy briefing from the Ministry of Unification. Lee was referring to Seoul’s proposal to repatriate North Korean prisoners, which Pyongyang has not responded to. While acknowledging that direct re
Dec. 19, 2025 -
Lee steps in to ease Cabinet turf war over North Korea policy
President Lee Jae Myung on Friday moved to settle tensions between the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Unification over leadership on North Korea policy, underscoring that responsibility for easing inter-Korean hostilities should rest with the Unification Ministry. Speaking during a joint policy briefing by the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Unification and the Overseas Koreans Agency at the Seoul Government Complex, Lee called for a patient and proactive approach to reducing tensions on
Dec. 19, 2025 -
N. Korea's Kim attends opening for regional factories in western Jangyon County
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended the ceremony to inaugurate new factories in the western county of Jangyon, completed under his signature regional development policy, state media said Friday. Kim cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony the previous day and toured the factories in South Hwanghae Province, where he sampled wheat paste, soy sauce and other products, the Korean Central News Agency said. The visit came just three days after Kim attended the inauguration of a new industrial
Dec. 19, 2025 -
N. Korea bristles at Japan's reported review of 3 non-nuclear principles
North Korea's state media on Thursday denounced Japan's reported review of its decades-long three non-nuclear principles. The Rodong Sinmun newspaper issued the criticism as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has reportedly sought to shift the principles that mandate no possessing, producing or introducing nuclear weapons. Takaichi is reportedly seeking to review the no-introduction principle, particularly regarding US nuclear-armed assets. The Rodong Sinmun accused Japan of trying to rearm
Dec. 18, 2025 -
Allies agree North Korea policy channel not ‘working group’ redux
South Korea and the United States share a clear understanding that their current consultations on North Korea policy are fundamentally different from the allies’ past working group, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Wednesday. Concerns and criticism have mounted over the channel’s potential trajectory, as critics argue that the earlier working group — focused on sanctions compliance — was used by Washington to put the brakes on inter-Korean cooperation projects during the first Trump administra
Dec. 17, 2025 -
Unification Ministry asserts right to peaceful use of DMZ
South Korea’s Unification Ministry on Wednesday reaffirmed its view that interpretation of the Korean War armistice should be limited to its military nature, stressing that the agreement does not prohibit the peaceful use of the Demilitarized Zone. "The Armistice Agreement, as stipulated in its preamble, is purely military in nature and does not ban the peaceful use of the DMZ," the ministry said in a statement responding to an earlier statement from the United Nations Command. In its statement,
Dec. 17, 2025 -
Kaesong-linked logistics project in Paju resumes with military approval after 9 years
A long-stalled plan to build a logistics complex in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, linked to the now-shuttered inter-Korean industrial park in Kaesong has resumed after receiving conditional approval from the South Korean military, clearing a key hurdle nearly nine years after the project was first put on hold. According to a group of South Korean owners of factories and businesses in Kaesong on Wednesday, the proposed Kaesong Industrial Park Integrated Logistics Complex in Paju recently received cond
Dec. 17, 2025 -
N. Korea's Kim pays respects to late father at family mausoleum on death anniversary
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un paid his highest tribute to late state leader and his father Kim Jong-il at the family mausoleum Wednesday, marking the 14th anniversary of his death, state media reported. Accompanied by government and party officials, Kim visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang at midnight, paid tribute to the late leader and prayed "for his immortality," the Korean Central News Agency said. The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun serves as the family mausoleum, where the emb
Dec. 17, 2025 -
South Korea, US launch follow-up talks on summit fact sheet
South Korea and the United States on Tuesday launched follow-up consultations to implement the outcomes of their recent summit meeting — even as discord between Seoul’s foreign and unification ministries cast a shadow over the effort. According to Seoul's Foreign Ministry, the meeting, officially titled ROK-US Consultations on Joint Fact Sheet Implementation, was held at the Seoul Government Complex, with Jeong Yeon-doo, Director General for Diplomatic Strategy and Intelligence at the Foreign Mi
Dec. 16, 2025 -
N. Korea's Kim attends ribbon-cutting ceremony for industrial plant near Pyongyang
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of an industrial complex on the outskirts of Pyongyang, accompanied by his daughter and wife, the North's state media said Tuesday. Kim appeared at the event held the previous day in Kangdong County, where a factory and a multifunctional service facility have been built under his signature regional development policy, the Korean Central News Agency reported. Photos released by the KCNA showed that Kim's
Dec. 16, 2025 -
Unification Ministry to sit out US consultations on N. Korea amid turf feud
The Unification Ministry has decided to skip Foreign Ministry-led consultations with the United States on North Korea policy — a follow-up to the allies’ joint fact sheet — amid a deepening inter-ministerial feud. The conflict between the two ministries in Seoul centers on what to call the new channel, what it is meant to be in practice and which ministry should lead it. The Unification Ministry on Monday cited the reason for its absence as the "consultations dealing with diplomatic issues betwe
Dec. 15, 2025 -
N. Korean leader's sister spotted with what appears to be Chinese foldable smartphone
The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has recently been spotted holding what appeared to be a Chinese foldable smartphone, as members of the country's ruling class are frequently seen with the latest smartphone technologies. A photo published by the Korean Central News Agency showed Kim Yo-jong holding a smartphone that appeared to be a foldable model from Chinese firm Honor's Magic series as she accompanied Kim Jong-un on an inspection of a newly built regional hospital on S
Dec. 15, 2025 -
N. Korea urges completion of ruling-party projects ahead of key party congress
North Korea on Monday urged all-out public efforts to complete major projects of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea ahead of the first party congress in five years in 2026, where a new development plan is expected to be unveiled. The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's most widely read newspaper, issued the call in an editorial, describing the period until the ninth party congress as "a very important and responsible juncture" in implementing party decisions and transitioning to a new stage of reform.
Dec. 15, 2025 -
Nat'l Assembly passes bill allowing police to intervene in anti-N.K. leaflet launches
The National Assembly passed Sunday a bill led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP) that would give police legal authority to block attempts to send anti-Pyongyang leaflets near border areas. The amendment to the Act on the Performance of Duties by Police Officers allows police to intervene in the launch of leaflets near the inter-Korean border, aiming to prevent activities that could heighten tensions between the two Koreas. The bill was passed at a plenary session, shortly after the main opposi
Dec. 14, 2025 -
N. Korea completes building 2nd modern regional hospital
North Korea has built its second modern regional hospital as part of leader Kim Jong-un's push to expand medical facilities nationwide to improve public health services, state media reported Sunday. Kim attended the inaugural ceremony of the Kusong City Hospital in North Phyongan Province to tour the facility, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. The hospital follows the opening of the Kangdong County Hospital on the outskirts of Pyongyang last month. Calling the Kusong facilit
Dec. 14, 2025