North Korea on Monday confirmed for the first time that it has deployed troops to Russia to support Moscow's war against Ukraine under their mutual defense treaty, claiming the North's soldiers helped Russia regain control of Kursk. The North's deployment was made by "the order" of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in accordance with Pyongyang's mutual defense treaty with Moscow, the North's Korean Central News Agency reported. Citing the North's Central Military Commission, the KCNA reported the

Russia's top general has confirmed for the first time that North Korean troops have been fighting in Russia's war against Ukraine as he held talks with President Vladimir Putin. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, made the confirmation of the North Korean troop deployment in a videoconference with Putin on Saturday, noting the North Korean troops had played a crucial role in the liberation of the Kursk border region. "I want to point out the participation of

North Korea has criticized Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for making a ritual offering to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo, saying that it again demonstrated Japan's pursuit of militarization. The North's Korean Central News Agency issued the criticism in a commentary dated Saturday, after Ishiba sent an offering last week to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japanese war dead, including 14 Class A criminals convicted by the Allied forces after World War II. A bipartisan group of Japa

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over the launch of a new 5,000-ton destroyer on Friday in Nampho Shipyard, underscoring his ambition to transform the country into a maritime power capable of extended-range operations. The destroyer, named Choe Hyon after a revered anti-Japanese revolutionary figure, was revealed during a high-profile ceremony marking the 93rd anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Attend

North Korea has unveiled its new destroyer for the country's navy as part of its broader plan to enhance maritime power, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Saturday. On Friday, Pyongyang held a launching ceremony of its new 5,000-ton multipurpose destroyer at a shipyard in the North's western port city of Nampho, according to the report by the KCNA. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended the ceremony with his daughter, known as Ju-ae, and examined the newly built naval warship,

North Korea on Friday denounced the United States for deploying B-1B strategic bombers to Japan, arguing that such deployment would pose a threat to security in the region. The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency published the criticism in an article, accusing Washington of stationing its bomber in Japan for a long-term period and escalating tensions in the region to a record high by using Japan and South Korea as outposts. On April 15, a US bomber task force, comprising B-1B Lancer air

North Korea on Thursday touted its mutual defense treaty with Russia as a "guarantee" safeguarding peace and security in Eurasia, marking the sixth anniversary of leader Kim Jong-un's first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Rodong Simun, a mainstream newspaper published by North Korea's Workers' Party, carried the message, a day before the country marks the sixth anniversary of Kim's first summit with Putin in the Russian border city of Vladivostok on April 25, 2019. The two coun

The position of US special envoy for North Korean human rights issues has remained vacant for more than three months since the start of US President Donald Trump’s second term. According to the US Department of State on Wednesday, Julie Turner — who had held the post since October 2023 — now serves as acting deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Her departure came as part of a broader reshuffle during the administrative transition — a common process in wh

The UN aviation agency has voiced grave concerns over North Korea's recent jamming of GPS navigation signals and called for measures to prevent a recurrence, the South Korean foreign ministry said Monday. During its latest council session held in Montreal, Canada, from March 10 to April 4, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted a decision against North Korea's GPS signal jamming, the ministry said in a press release. The agency also decided to send a letter, under the counc

North Korea on Sunday denounced United States President Donald Trump's recent easing of domestic weapons export regulations, calling it a move aimed at "expanding war." The state-run Korean Central News Agency issued the criticism, citing Trump's April 9 executive order that mandates a review of rules governing US military equipment exports, aimed at facilitating easier overseas sales of defense products. The KCNA claimed that weapons sales serve as a key tool in advancing the US foreign policy

The UN civilian aviation agency has dismissed North Korea's request to investigate its claim of South Korean drones infiltrating Pyongyang's airspace last year, a Seoul official said Thursday. Earlier this year, North Korea submitted the request to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for a probe into the alleged drone infiltrations in October. "At the ICAO Council meeting on April 1, North Korea's claim was not accepted and the council decided by consensus that no measures were

North Korea's defense ministry has accused South Korea and the United States of raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula with their joint military drills, warning the North would deter any aggressive attempt by the allies. The North's defense ministry issued the warning in a statement dated Wednesday, a day after South Korea and the US conducted joint air drills involving US B-1B bombers over the peninsula in a show of force against North Korean military threats. The North's ministry called the

South Korea needs to bolster relations with Russia to deter North Korean threats stemming from its deepening military cooperation with Moscow, a think tank here said Wednesday. A report by the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses noted that following Russia’s prolonged war against Ukraine since February 2022, Moscow has been advancing its ties with Pyongyang, while some countries attempt to isolate Russia diplomatically and economically. The recent war that advanced Moscow-Pyongyang ties has als

Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, is thought to have hired hundreds of North Korean workers, Russian media outlets reported recently, despite the wide range of economic sanctions imposed by the international community. "Hundreds" of North Korean nationals have been hired by the company, the English- and Russian-language news outlet the Moscow Times reported, citing a report by media platform RTVI. Addressing the allegations, Wildberries acknowledged what it called a pilot project to

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a ceremony marking the completion of 10,000 new housing units in a newly developed town in Pyongyang on the birth anniversary of his grandfather and national founder Kim Il-sung, the North's state media reported Wednesday. Kim attended the completion ceremony for the third-stage housing section of the newly developed Hwasong area in the capital Tuesday, the day the country celebrated the 113th birth anniversary of its founder, according to the Korean Cent