North Korea's state media stayed mum Thursday on the country's latest suspected missile test, a day after the South Korean military said the launch appeared to have failed. The North fired a projectile from the Sunan area in Pyongyang that appeared to have exploded in midair at an altitude below 20 kilometers, according to informed sources. The North's tightly controlled official media, including the Korean Central News Agency and the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, did not carry any reports on the lau

The United States on Wednesday condemned North Korea's latest missile launch while confirming the North has fired a ballistic missile. "The United States condemns the DPRK's ballistic missile launch," a spokesperson for the US Department of State told Yonhap News Agency in an email. Seoul earlier said the North fired an unidentified projectile early Wednesday (Seoul time) but that more analysis was required to determine the type of missile launched. "Like the DPRK's recent test of

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a major housing construction site in the country’s capital, state media reported Wednesday, stepping up domestic activities amid the regime’s continued weapons launches threatening the security in the region. 　 The Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday said Kim visited the construction site of 10,000 apartments in Songsin and Songhwa districts of eastern Pyongyang that is nearing completion. Kim had attended the groundbreaking ceremony of

Seoul says projectile exploded soon after launch

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) expressed concern Wednesday about North Korea's continued missile launches, stressing the move poses a "serious risk" to international civil aviation. The Montreal-based UN agency's governing body reiterated its concern over the North's recent "unannounced missiles launches which pose a serious risk to international civil aviation," according to a statement posted on its website. "As an ICAO Member State, the DPRK is e

North Korea on Wednesday fired an unidentified projectile, but the launch appears to have failed soon after liftoff, South Korea's military said. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the North launched the projectile from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at 9:30 a.m. Other Details were not immediately available. "The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the US are conducting an additional analysis," the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters. Speculation has been widespread tha

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the site of a major housing project in the country's capital ahead of its completion, state media reported Wednesday. Kim inspected the construction of 10,000 apartments in the Songsin and Songhwa areas of Pyongyang that is nearing completion after a groundbreaking in March last year, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "He noted with pleasure that the architecture of the country has developed onto a higher plane through the c

North Korea could be preparing to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile soon, with satellite imagery showed a new concrete structure laid at Sunan airfield near Pyongyang, according to a media report. 　 Citing photos taken Saturday by Planet Labs, Voice of America reported Tuesday that the North has built two concrete slabs between the airfield’s runways and taxiways designed to support a transporter erector launcher, or TEL, used for launching missiles. 　 The report said the stru

The US Treasury Department has advised the country's financial institutions to be cautious about doing business involving North Korea, citing a recent decision of an intergovernmental body tasked with combating money laundering and terrorism financing, the department's website showed Tuesday. The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) kept North Korea and Iran on the list of "high-risk jurisdictions" in the March 4 move, according to the department's Financial Crimes Enforcemen

A 2.0 magnitude natural quake struck central North Korea early Tuesday, South Korea's state weather agency said. The quake struck 20 kilometers north of the county of Songchon at 12:22 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The epicenter was at a latitude of 39.42 degrees north and a longitude of 126.19 degrees east at a depth of 12 km.

South Korean authorities believe North Korea could carry out an intercontinental ballistic missile system test as soon as this week, which would seriously raise tensions on the Korean Peninsula as the presidential transition gets underway in Seoul. 　 Seoul and Washington have detected signs of an imminent ICBM test, and have been keeping an eye on the developments, according to sources here. 　 National Security adviser Suh Hoon told President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday that a test launch

South Korea and the United States have detected signs that North Korea is preparing to conduct another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system test as early as this week, informed sources here said Monday. Such indications emerged after Seoul and Washington accused Pyongyang on Friday of having tested a new ICBM system on Feb. 27 and March 5 ahead of a full-range ICBM test. The North has characterized the two launches as "reconnaissance satellite" development tests. South Ko

WASHINGTON -- US special envoy for North Korea Sung Kim has called on China to condemn North Korea's continued missile launches, the state department said Sunday. Kim also called on China to help bring North Korea back to dialogue in a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart, Liu Xiaoming, according to department spokesperson Ned Price. The call was made Thursday, the same day the United States made a rare revelation of its intelligence that North Korea's recent missile tests on Feb. 27

A North Korean propaganda machine slammed South Korea on Sunday for denouncing what Pyongyang claims were recent satellite launch tests as efforts to develop a new intercontinental ballistic missile, arguing it is a double standard to take issue with space projects that all countries are entitled to undertake. South Korea and the United States have recently announced their assessment that Pyongyang's purported satellite tests on Feb. 27 and March 5 were part of efforts to develop a new ICBM syst

　 North Korea appears to have begun to dismantle some of the South Korean-built facilities at the Mount Kumgang resort, a report has said. 　Citing satellite images taken from March 5-9 by Planet Labs, the Voice of America said Friday (U.S. time) that the roof of the Haegumgang Hotel had become darker in the photos. The images also showed that heavy machinery was located in front of the floating hotel. 　The previous day, the South Korean government said it had detected similar moves at the