The head of Russia’s Emergencies Ministry arrived in North Korea for his first visit on Sunday, according to aviation data and DPRK state media, following Moscow-Pyongyang’s agreement to train North Korean rescuers in Russia. The delegation headed by EMERCOM Minister Alexander Kurenkov landed at Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport around 10 p.m. KST, Flightradar24 data showed. […]

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. (Last updated on Oct. 12 at 9:50 a.m. KST with information from Japan about a second launch.) North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile on Monday morning, according to Japanese and South Korean military authorities, the country’s fourth apparent missile test of the last month. […]

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi elevated bilateral ties to a strategic partnership on Thursday, signing or revising 12 cooperation documents covering trade, manufacturing, energy and maritime affairs. The leaders formally declared the launch of negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with the first round scheduled for […] The post South Korea bets on Egypt as export hub despite rising financial risks appeared first on Korea Pro.

More than 70% of Americans support the U.S. military defending South Korea in the event of a North Korean attack, according to an annual think tank survey published Thursday. Seventy-seven percent of Republicans and 73% of Democrats back U.S. military support of its longtime ally, according to the survey conducted by the Washington-based Korea Economic […]

A pair of explosions on the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone last month escalated inter-Korean tensions and set off a scramble to determine what had happened, with Seoul concluding this week that “deliberately buried” North Korean mines caused the blasts that wounded three soldiers. To help readers understand the Sept. 21 explosions and […] The post How the DMZ blasts unfolded, from mine laying to North Korean denials appeared first on NK PRO.

Hundreds of military trucks appeared at North Korea’s main parade training base this week, raising the possibility that soldiers will march in celebrations for the country’s Oct. 10 party foundation holiday, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery. Elsewhere, there were still no signs of preparations for an event to launch or otherwise celebrate […] The post North Korean military parade training site active ahead of Oct. 10 holiday appeared first on NK PRO.

Ukraine says it remains open to dialogue with South Korea despite Seoul’s decision to recall its ambassador due to a spat over North Korean prisoners of war, a move that has triggered a fierce ROK domestic debate over President Lee Jae Myung’s contrasting approaches to Ukraine and the DPRK. “We are convinced that diplomacy must […]

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung observed the first “successful” test launch of a domestically developed hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) on Thursday, a capability experts say could keep Seoul’s missiles ahead of North Korean air defenses. The Blue House said in a statement that the “successful test marked a significant step toward securing a new […]

The screen of a phone manufactured for the North Korean market turned orange and became stuck in an endless reboot loop after a Chinese blogger took it to South Korea, raising questions about controls built into the device. The Weibo user “fenibook,” who has about 503,000 followers, described the malfunction in a video review of […]

President Lee Jae Myung’s decision to appoint Song Young-gil as his special adviser for peace diplomacy has brought a longtime advocate of closer relations with Russia and North Korea back into South Korea’s foreign policy establishment, even as Seoul’s confrontation with Ukraine intensifies. The six-term lawmaker has quickly made his views known. In an Oct. […] The post Song Young-gil’s comeback renews scrutiny of his North Korea and Russia views appeared first on Korea Pro.

Agriculture dominated North Korean state media this week as the harvest season continued across the country, while coverage hailed the Workers’ Party’s (WPK) greatness ahead of its 81st founding anniversary this weekend. Domestic outlets called on workers to devote themselves to harvesting fall crops and predicted that yields will outperform last year, though Pyongyang hasn’t […] The post North Korea boasts of strong fall harvest ahead of major party anniversary appeared first on NK PRO.

A suspected North Korean land mine washed ashore on an island near the inter-Korean maritime border on Thursday, according to the South Korean military. The anti-personnel mine was discovered near Daebinchang Beach in Ganghwa County’s Jumun Island, near Incheon, at around 3:30 p.m. KST, the ROK marines said in a statement Thursday evening.  The marines […]

North Korea generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually by confiscating up to 90% of its overseas workers’ wages, according to a new U.S. State Department report, condemning the country as one of the world’s worst human trafficking offenders. The 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report keeps Pyongyang in its “Tier 3” category, meaning North Korea […]

On this week’s episode of the Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha discuss the successful fifth launch of South Korea’s Nuri rocket, which placed five primary Earth observation satellites into orbit, as well as the growing role of private companies such as Hanwha Aerospace and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in the country’s space […] The post Nuri launch, bank cyber breach and Seoul-Kyiv tensions — Ep. 152 appeared first on Korea Pro.

South Korea announced Thursday that it would recall Ambassador Park Ki-chan from Ukraine following a diplomatic dispute over Kyiv’s disclosure that two captured North Korean soldiers had been transferred to Seoul. The Foreign Ministry gave no timetable for the ambassador’s return but said it hoped outstanding bilateral issues would be resolved amicably and would continue […] The post South Korea recalls Ukraine envoy as Lee’s public demands constrain diplomacy appeared first on Korea Pro.

South Korea has recalled its envoy to Ukraine over a diplomatic spat surrounding the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) between the two states. The ROK Foreign Ministry announced the move in a press release on Thursday evening, following the Foreign Minister Cho Hyun’s warnings of firm measures against Kyiv. “The government has […]

A U.S. nonprofit has received a sanctions waiver from the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to ship medical equipment for North Korean children with developmental disabilities, the first time in four months the committee overseeing DPRK sanctions has confirmed a humanitarian exemption. On Sept. 18, the UNSC granted permission to IGNIS Community, a nongovernmental organization offering […]

South Korea’s top military officer criticized North Korean mine laying on the ROK side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a “clear provocation” on Thursday, pledging “appropriate” measures in response to last month’s explosions that injured three soldiers. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung said the Sept. 21 mine explosions were “a […]

Ukraine has denied Seoul’s claim that it apologized over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to the South, blaming the diplomatic row on differing interpretations of confidentiality arrangements. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said in a briefing on Wednesday that Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha merely expressed “regret that the situation had […]

The North Korean leader’s sister denounced Seoul’s plan to send medical equipment to the North as an “insult” and a “provocation” on Thursday, after reports that the U.N. has granted a sanctions exemption for a shipment. “This is an insult to our state, a mutated political provocation and a grave act of sovereignty infringement that […]

North Korea has published the first “Revolutionary History” book about leader Kim Jong Un’s life, according to state media, a state-produced biography that may signal plans to start openly promoting tales about his childhood for the first time. The revelation came in a Korean Central Television (KCTV) program from Sept. 28 profiling Kim Il Sung […]

South Korean intelligence indicates that North Korea has likely buried hundreds of land mines near the area where explosions injured three ROK soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) last month, according to an opposition lawmaker. In an interview at the National Assembly on Tuesday, People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker Yu Yong-weon told NK News that […]

North Korean state TV aired an outdated map over the weekend identifyingthat identifies several South Korean border islands as DPRK territory, despite recent policy changes that appeared to abandon claims to the disputed islands. The error marks the latest example of Korean Central Television (KCTV) inconsistently updating its maps to reflect leader Kim Jong Un’s […] The post North Korean TV airs outdated map laying claim to South Korean border islands appeared first on NK PRO.

Standing in the Oval Office on Sept. 30 beside Senator Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican in a close reelection race, President Donald Trump announced that South Korea would invest about $54 billion in the long-delayed Alaska liquefied natural gas project. The joint announcement released the same day said only that the two sides would begin […] The post Trump’s Alaska LNG claim shows who really runs the US-South Korea alliance appeared first on Korea Pro.

South Korea’s Nuri rocket completed its fifth launch on Wednesday, placing all five primary Earth-observation satellites into their target orbit after lifting off from the Naro Space Center at 12:25 p.m. The rocket also deployed nine of 10 smaller secondary satellites, while one remained attached after its deployment mechanism failed to open. The flight marked […] The post South Korea’s Nuri success shifts focus from launch proof to space industry appeared first on Korea Pro.

South Korea’s unification minister says he opposed a foreign ministry proposal to sanction North Korean cyber operatives in response to the Sept. 21 mine blast in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), arguing that the two issues are unrelated. “What does a cyber sanction have to do with responding to a land mine explosion?” Chung Dong-young said […]

South Korea plans to investigate North Korean incursions across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in order to formally declare them violations of the Korean War armistice, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday, following the Sept. 21 mine explosion that injured three ROK soldiers. The ministry outlined the plan in a document submitted to the National Assembly’s […]

North Korea has renamed a government agency tasked with preserving the country’s culture to drop a reference to a shared Korean ethnic identity, in the latest example of Pyongyang’s abandonment of its reunification policy. The agency formerly known as the Bureau for the Protection of National Cultural Heritage (민족유산보호국) is now know as the Bureau […]

North Korean and Russian scientists have found signs that endangered leopards and tigers are living in the DPRK and will join hands to search for the animals, a Russian nature reserve has announced. The revelation came during a three-day visit by a delegation from the DPRK Ministry of Land and Environment Protection to Russia’s Land […]

An unknown prankster appears to have hacked the voicemail of the North Korean mission to the U.N., NK News has confirmed, recording a profane greeting that mocks the country and its persistent food shortages. CNN was first to report on the satirical message that plays after calling the phone number of the DPRK’s diplomatic office, […]

South Korea’s missile defense buildup will depend on whether Seoul can field, replace and coordinate enough interceptors to withstand sustained North Korean attacks while its defense industry works through a growing backlog of foreign orders. Pyongyang’s growing missile arsenal is making that challenge more urgent. North Korean state media said a hypersonic intermediate-range missile launched […] The post South Korea’s missile defense push raises new questions over wartime stocks appeared first on Korea Pro.

NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park and Michael Bosack, former deputy secretary of the U.N. Command Military Armistice Commission, join the podcast this week to discuss the Sept. 21 landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), what investigators have established about the North Korean mine involved and why questions remain over how it ended up […]

Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae on Tuesday rejected pressure to reopen the stalled appointment of a Supreme Court justice, telling lawmakers that the Blue House had failed to provide sufficient reasons or constitutional grounds for requesting a new nominee. Cho refused to take a witness oath at a National Assembly audit, citing separation of […] The post Supreme Court vacancy hardens into constitutional showdown over Cho Hee-dae appeared first on Korea Pro.

North Korea on Tuesday condemned South Korea’s final investigation into a land mine explosion near the inter-Korean border that injured three soldiers and warned that its forces would respond to any South Korean demining activity that crosses into the North’s territory. In a statement issued through the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the DPRK […]

A widening series of cyberattacks against South Korean financial companies has exposed a weakness around external systems for banks that could force regulators to redraw the sector’s security perimeter as artificial intelligence (AI) makes those gaps faster and cheaper to find. The amount of information exposed remains modest compared with some of South Korea’s largest […] The post South Korea bank hacks expose weak links beyond core financial systems appeared first on Korea Pro.

South Korea’s highest court has acquitted a North Korean defector who helped facilitate money transfers to family members in the North, marking the court’s first such ruling in a remittance case. The Supreme Court of Korea on Friday dismissed the prosecution’s appeal and finalized the acquittal against the defector, a court spokesperson told NK News. […]

North Korea built new missile launch-related facilities on the east coast ahead of recent test launches attended by Kim Jong Un and his young daughter, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery. The missile facility is located on a beach in Sangum-ri (상음리) of Anbyon County, just south of the Kangwon Province capital of […] The post North Korea upgraded coastal missile site ahead of recent test launches: Imagery appeared first on NK PRO.

An apology from Ukraine for publicly disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea has fallen short of Seoul’s expectations, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers Tuesday. “I cannot say that there was no apology,” Cho said in response to a question from ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Ki-heon during […]

North Korea has relied heavily on counterfeit U.S. and European parts to produce missiles and drones used in the war against Ukraine, a new report has found, suggesting that sanctions are limiting Pyongyang’s ability to source original components. The U.K.-based Conflict Armament Research (CAR) project analyzed North Korean Hwasong-11-series missiles used by Russia against Ukraine […]

North Korea’s launch of a “hypersonic” ballistic missile over the weekend appears to mark the country’s most significant reveal of a strategic system since the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile last year, potentially adding another maneuverable capability to frustrate adversaries’ missile defenses. Leader Kim Jong Un oversaw what state media called the “firing drill” of a […] The post How North Korea’s newest ‘hypersonic’ missile could foil adversary defenses appeared first on NK PRO.

Saudi Arabia’s share of South Korean crude oil imports fell below 30% for the first time in five years as refiners increased purchases from other suppliers amid continuing disruption in the Middle East. Saudi crude accounted for 29.9% of imports in January-August, down from 30.91% through July, although the kingdom remained South Korea’s largest source […] The post South Korea’s crude shift tests how far Saudi oil dominance can endure appeared first on Korea Pro.

South Korea’s military has concluded that plastic, North Korean anti-personnel mines “deliberately buried” south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) caused the Sept. 21 blasts that injured three ROK troops, announcing the final results of a joint investigation with the U.N. Command (UNC). At a briefing on Monday, the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) […]

President Donald Trump on Saturday touted his relations with nuclear-armed nations, specifically North Korea, as the U.S. State Department reaffirmed his willingness to diplomatically engage with the DPRK. Speaking at a 2026 midterm election campaign rally in Ohio, Trump said he got “along great with Kim Jong Un” and that it was important to maintain […]

South Korea’s widening dispute with Ukraine over two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) is exposing a deeper strategic problem for Seoul as Kyiv’s campaign against Russia increasingly collides with South Korea’s priorities on North Korea, energy security and Central Asia. President Lee Jae Myung threatened “additional measures” on Oct. 2 unless Ukraine acknowledged what […] The post Lee-Zelensky feud exposes South Korea’s widening Ukraine policy dilemma appeared first on Korea Pro.

Russia has agreed to finance training programs for North Korean first responders in Vladivostok for the next five years, according to a government decree, following an agreement last year to exchange drone and rescue tactics. The Russian government instructed the Emergencies Ministry (EMERCOM) to organize the “training of specialists from the national emergency service of […]

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry has denounced a new U.N. report on human rights abuses in the country, accusing U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres of following “hostile forces” that distort the facts about its record. In a statement released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday, a ministry spokesperson condemned the report as a […]

North Korea’s 2026 Asian Games campaign was a study in contrasts: Its 29-medal haul fell short of its previous performances, but a dominant weightlifting team delivered all seven of the country’s gold medals and proved the DPRK remains a force to be reckoned with in the sport. North Korea ranked 12th in the overall medal […]

A North Korean military official met a Taliban counterpart on the sidelines of a Russian military exercise and weapons expo last week, where the DPRK joined Afghanistan and dozens of other countries as an observer. The Russian Defense Ministry announced Saturday that North Korea was among the 33 states that dispatched observers to its Center-2026 […]

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to “charge” South Korea more if Seoul does not agree to participate in the Alaska liquefied natural gas project, telling reporters on Oct. 2 that he would “double it up” if an agreement was not reached soon. Trump did not specify what cost he would increase. Seoul has maintained that […] The post Trump’s Alaska LNG threat tests South Korea’s US investment safeguards appeared first on Korea Pro.

North Korea launched a missile toward waters off its eastern coast on Saturday, with the weapon striking a designated target about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away in the East Sea (Sea of Japan), according to the country’s state media Sunday. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the intermediate-range strategic missile, under was […]