Four North Korean defectors in South Korea are filing a criminal defamation complaint against Unification Minister Lee In-young over remarks he made earlier this month questioning the reliability of defectors’ statements about human rights issues in the North. Mulmangcho, a Seoul-based nongovernmental group that supports North Korean defectors, said Sunday that four defectors would file a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Monday afternoon over comments

North Korea's main nuclear complex showed continued activity at its uranium enrichment facility throughout the winter, a US monitor said Sunday. In an experts' analysis of satellite imagery from January and February this year, the think tank, 38 North, said the movement of specialized vehicles and equipment near the uranium facility at Yongbyon indicates that the Uranium Enrichment Plant (UEP) has continued operations. Satellite imagery, however, showed no signs of activity at nuclear reactors

A North Korean man was caught on military surveillance cameras set up along the east coast at least four times after he swam ashore in the South, but border guards did nothing to stop him, an investigation has found. Military authorities have been looking into what went wrong with border security after the man was caught on Tuesday about 8 km away from the border inside a restricted area north of the Civilian Control Line in the eastern border town of Goseong. The man has expressed a desire to

North Korea’s official newspaper on Saturday stressed the importance of “economic principles” and “scientific analysis” as the country is striving to achieve a recently unveiled five-year economic development scheme. “Economic workers should stay away from such tendencies of ignoring economic principles and failing to concentrate and causing waste and confusion by not resorting to scientific analysis,” the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the r

North Korea has appointed a former trade minister as the new ambassador to China, the country's foreign ministry said Friday, in what appears to be aimed at strengthening economic ties with its closest ally. Ri Ryong-nam, 61, replaced Ji Jae-ryong, who has served as top envoy in Beijing since 2010, according to a posting on the official website of the ministry. Ri is known for his expertise on trade and the economy as he worked as trade minister in 2008 and as external economic affairs ministe

South Korea is exploring various ways to provide food and fertilizer to North Korea in humanitarian assistance as Pyongyang is believed to be faced with worsening food shortages, the unification ministry said Friday. On Thursday, Unification Minister Lee In-young told lawmakers that the North appears to be faced with a food shortage of about 1.2 million to 1.3 million tons this year mainly due to damage from last year's heavy downpours. "Our position remains the same that humanitarian iss

The US Justice Department indicted three North Koreans in December on charges related to cyberattacks to steal over $1.3 billion in crypto and traditional currencies from banks and companies. The indictment, filed in December and disclosed Wednesday, alleges that the three -- Jon Chang Hyok, 31; Kim Il, 27; and Park Jin Hyok, 36 -- were members of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a North Korean military intelligence agency that engages in criminal hacking. Wednesday’s indictment builds

The United Nations has started referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as "president" instead of his previous title "chairman," a change apparently made at the request of Pyongyang, a unification ministry official said Thursday. State media had mostly used "chairman" of the State Affairs Commission (SAC) in describing the leader, but since early this month, "president" has replaced the previous title in what experts see as intended to rev up his stat

The ongoing review of US policy toward North Korea will also take into account cyber threats posed by the country, a spokesperson for the US State Department said Wednesday. Ned Price said the US is well aware of "disruptive cyber attacks" committed by the North. "Of course, most frequently we speak of North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile program, but, of course, it's malicious cyber activity is something we are carefully evaluating and looking at as well," the press

The United States has indicted three North Korean hackers on charges of criminal cyber activities aimed at stealing $1.3 billion, the Department of Justice said Wednesday. The indictment filed in the US District Court in Los Angeles identified the three North Korean suspects as Jon Chang-hyok (31), Kim Il (27) and Park Jin-hyock (36). They were "members of units of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, a military intelligence agency of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which

Jo Yong-won, newly appointed secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party in North Korea, was in the spotlight during the latest key party meeting, which ended last week. 　 The 64-year-old strongly rebuked senior officials -- some of whom are older than him -- for their “passiveness and self-protectionism” in setting policy goals, and warned that the party will not tolerate those who neglect their duties, according to the party’s official newspaper Ro

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong spoke by phone with his Canadian counterpart, Marc Garneau, on Wednesday and discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations, the foreign ministry said. During the talks, the ministers agreed to closely work together in tackling global challenges like the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change as "responsible middle powers and strategic partners that share the values of democracy and free trade," the ministry said. The two sides also agr

North Korea has been expanding missile development facilities, but has shown no unusual signs at its demolished nuclear testing site or its long-suspended plutonium-producing reactor, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The assessment was made in a report the ministry presented to the National Assembly's defense committee for a policy briefing session. "No special movement has been spotted since May 24, 2018, when the North demolished the Punggyeri nuclear test site. The 5-megawatt nucle

North Korea's state media have used "president" as the official English title of leader Kim Jong-un, instead of the previous title of "chairman," in what experts see as intended to rev up the image of a "normal state." The North's Korean Central News Agency used the new title for the first time in an English article last Thursday while reporting on a Cuban leaders' message to Kim. On Wednesday, KCNA also referred to Kim as "president" in reporting on his

North Korea has attempted to hack into South Korean drug manufacturers' computer systems to obtain information related to coronavirus vaccines and treatment, the state intelligence agency told lawmakers Tuesday. At a closed-door parliamentary session, the National Intelligence Service reported the average daily number of cyberattacks in South Korea has increased 32 percent year-on-year to about 1.58 million cases, most of which were unsuccessful, Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the main opposition People