A North Korean propaganda outlet on Tuesday described a 1980 pro-democracy uprising in South Korea as a "historic event" in the anti-fascism movement, highlighting people's fearless fight in the face of a bloody crackdown. On Tuesday, South Korea marks the 41st anniversary of the May 18 uprising in the southwestern city of Gwangju quelled ruthlessly by the military junta led by then Gen. Chun Doo-hwan. The crackdown left more than 200 people killed and 1,800 others wounded. "The

The unification ministry on Monday expressed disappointment over North Korea's final decision to withdraw from a World Cup qualifier set to take place in the South next month. On Sunday, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed the withdrawal of the North from the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. "The unification ministry has maintained the stance that it is desirable to use the World Cup and other international games as an opportunity for inter-Korean exchange in sp

A videoconferencing platform similar to Zoom is widely used in North Korea as the country’s citizens avoid face-to-face meetings just like most people around the world. According to a report released Thursday by 38 North, a media outlet that specializes in North Korea, the country uses a domestically developed videoconferencing system called Rakwon. The name means “paradise.” The software was developed a decade ago at Kim Il Sung University, and the news of its existence was

A North Korean propaganda outlet on Sunday criticized South Korea's ongoing biennial rear area training and recent joint exercise with the United States, warning that it will only "stab itself in the eyes" by confronting the North. Last week, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) kicked off the Hwarang training in the southeastern city of Daegu and its surrounding North Gyeongsang Province as part of efforts to maintain an integrated defense posture. The exercise is slated to run until Nove

China exported around 587 tons of refined oil to North Korea in March, according to data that the country provided to a UN sanctions committee for the first time in six months. According to the latest update on the UN Security Council webpage on its sanctions committee on North Korea, Beijing supplied Pyongyang with 4,893 barrels, equivalent to 587.4 tons, in March. Since its last report in September last year, China had skipped disclosing its monthly oil exports. The March figure represents

Unification Minister Lee In-young on Thursday pinned his hopes on the upcoming South Korea-US summit as a “watershed” moment that could make progress in the stalled diplomacy with North Korea, and urged Pyongyang to return to the dialogue.  Speaking at a seminar organized by the state-run think tanks, the minister “positively” assessed the Biden administration’s recently completed North Korea policy, which he said was a result of close coordination and consul

North Korea's official newspaper called Thursday for efforts to prevent capitalistic culture from seeping into the country, warning that otherwise, the country could fall "like a damp wall" The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's ruling Worker's Party, made the appeal, saying that attempts to establish socialism in other countries failed due to the "invasion of capitalistic lifestyle." "History teaches us a crucial lesson that a country can become vulnerable and eve

WASHINGTON -- North Korea continues to strictly limit the basic rights of its people, including religious freedom, with up to 200,000 people believed to be held in prison camps because of their beliefs, the US State Department said Wednesday. In its annual report on religious freedom, the State Department also noted the North Korean government continues to actively take part in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom. "Since 2001, the DPRK has been designated as a 'Country of P

The United States may consider sharing COVID-19 vaccines with North Korea if requested by the impoverished nation, if the vaccines will reach the intended beneficiaries, a US news outlet reported Tuesday. CNN noted the sharing of vaccines may help resume diplomatic dialogue with the North but that no request for assistance has been made. "While we are open to considering DPRK requests for humanitarian assistance, these would need to be accompanied by effective monitoring to ensure that it

In a speech marking the start of his final year in office, President Moon Jae-in issued a strongly worded statement, apparently condemning an activist group for sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the inter-Korean border.  　 “It is never desirable to dampen inter-Korean relations by violating inter-Korean agreements and current laws. I stress that the government has no choice but to strictly enforce the laws,” Moon said Monday in a televised speech. 　 While the president d

North Korea has stepped up efforts to produce and distribute electricity more efficiently, state media said Tuesday, amid a chronic power shortage and challenges in meeting the country's five-year economic goals. Tongil Voice, a North Korean propaganda radio broadcast, said that the power transmission and distribution department in South Hamgyong Province has successfully established a database to introduce a geographic information system for improving efficiency in the province at the end of

North Korea has conducted coronavirus tests on around 26,000 people so far but found no infections, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday. According to the WHO's weekly report on COVID-19, 751 North Koreans underwent virus tests from April 23-29, bringing the total number of tested citizens to 25,986 so far, but none were found to have been infected. Of the 751 newly tested citizens, 139 people showed flu-like symptoms but all of them turned out to be those of acute respiratory illn

WASHINGTON -- North Korea is said to have acknowledged a recent US offer to explain the outcome of its policy review on Pyongyang after earlier overtures from the administration of Joe Biden went unanswered. In response to the US offer last week, the North has reportedly said the proposal has been "well received," a different reaction from when the first dialogue offer was made. Last month, the US said it had sought to engage with the North in mid-February, but the regime remained &qu

A vocal North Korean defector and activist known for flying anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North by balloon was questioned by police on Monday over his recent claim to have sent leaflets, in the first violation of South Korea's anti-leaflet law that took effect in March. Park Sang-hak, the head of Fighters for a Free North Korea, a North Korean defectors' group, arrived at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency around 2 p.m. to be grilled as a suspect about his April 30 claim that his organizat

North Korea has tightened antivirus efforts in an eastern inter-Korean border region, the country's main newspaper said Friday, a day after the paper issued a warning about coronavirus infections through anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent from South Korea. The Rodong Sinmun said the North is stepping up efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the border county of Kosong in Kangwon Province, especially in the sea and forest areas. "We are putting all-out efforts to educate the public to str