North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called the United States the “biggest enemy” of his country, threatening to continue to advance its nuclear capabilities, state media said Saturday. 　 Kim added that Washington‘s policy against Pyongyang won’t change regardless of who rules the White House, saying that an end to its hostile stance will be the key to future relations between the two countries, according to the Korean Central News Agency. 　 Kim made the remarks reporting

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday examined ties with South Korea and decided to expand foreign relations, on the third day of his second party congress since coming to power in 2012. Kim did not elaborate, according to the North’s state media. The 37-year-old leader also highlighted “our way of life” full of socialist values in education, health and arts and discussed promoting the supremacy of “our institutions.” Kim, who faces the toughest challenges

The US State Department said Thursday that it is creating the Bureau of Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET) to respond to security threats posed by adversaries including China, North Korea, Russia and Iran. The threats have increased since Congress was notified of the plan in June 2019, the State Department said in a statement. The CSET bureau will lead the US government diplomatic efforts on international cyberspace security concerns that affect US national security and forei

North Korean state media made no mention of its leader Kim Jong-un's presumed 37th birthday on Friday amid its detailed report on an ongoing rare party congress. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the ruling party, carried articles on the eighth party congress of the ruling Workers' Party, the country's biggest political event, but did not mention his birthday. The North's state Korean Central Television (KCTV) also kicked off its program at 9 a.

North Korea's official newspaper on Friday urged the people to keep their guard up against the coronavirus pandemic as a rare party congress is under way in Pyongyang with thousands of delegates gathering to join the largest political event. The eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party, the first of its kind in nearly five years, has been held since Tuesday to determine the country's policy directions for the economy and foreign affairs. Pyongyang had been placed on the highest alert agains

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reviewed inter-Korean relations and pledged to "comprehensibly" expand external ties during a rare party congress, state media reported Friday. Kim announced the policy line in a report to the third-day session of the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party held in Pyongyang the previous day, citing "the prevailing situation and the changed times," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The report studied the issu

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed Wednesday to bolster defense on the second day of a party congress held for the second time since 2016. He came to power in 2012. Kim said he would expand the military capabilities to realize a peaceful environment for North Koreans, according to the North’s state media. 　 Kim discussed economic goals as well for different sectors, but again skipped foreign policies. On the first day of the congress, Kim admitted to economic failures over the past f

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to strengthen his country's military capabilities to protect its people at a rare party congress, state media said Thursday, amid an impasse in its nuclear negotiations with the United States. Kim, however, did not use such provocative words as nuclear weapons or war deterrent, which some experts saw as intended to avoid increasing tensions, as he reported to the second-day session of the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party on Wednesday. He &q

A US reconnaissance plane flew over South Korea on Wednesday, an aviation tracker said, on an apparent mission to monitor North Korea as Pyongyang kicked off its rare party congress. The US Navy's EP-3E was seen flying over Hwaseong, south of Seoul, and Hongcheon, 100 kilometers east of the capital, in the afternoon, according to the tracker, No callsign. The flight came as the ruling Workers' Party's first congress in nearly five years started in Pyongyang on Tuesday. The congress draws keen

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un admitted Tuesday his five-year economic plan had failed “terribly” to deliver on expectations for almost every sector, as he opened a party congress for the second time since 2016. Kim, who came to power in 2012, did not address foreign policies. The key party meeting, attended by the ruling Workers’ Party members, delegates and spectators, sets forth the regime’s major economic and foreign initiatives and involves a party reshuffle. In 20

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a media interview that it was unfortunate that the US failed to get North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to begin the denuclearization process during his term. The outgoing secretary of state who was deeply involved in US President Donald Trump’s summits with Kim made the remarks when asked by Bloomberg TV on Monday whether he feels there has been progress on North Korea. “President Trump came in and recognized that one of the great challenges t

The incoming US administration of Joe Biden should recognize the progress made with North Korea so far and reengage the North in denuclearization talks to build on such progress, a former US nuclear negotiator said Tuesday. Joseph DeTrani also argued North Korea would be willing to come back to the negotiating table. "President Donald Trump and his two summits had success, certainly in Singapore, with that joint statement, that declaration coming out of Singapore that spoke about a transf

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has admitted the failure to meet the country's economic development goals as he opened the ruling party's first congress in nearly five years, state media said Wednesday. Kim made the acknowledgement in his opening speech for the eighth congress of the Workers' Party, which took place in Pyongyang on Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The party congress, the North's biggest political event, was launched amid expectations the North will unveil

North Korea has sent an application to secure a coronavirus vaccine supply from a global group that helps low-income countries with inoculations, the Wall Street Journal said Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter, adding it has reached out to several European embassies asking about vaccines. Gavi, an international vaccine alliance that helps impoverished countries vaccinate their people, declined to comment on North Korea’s application. The group is assessing the demand in diffe

A UN Security Council panel approved sanctions exemptions on a total of 30 cases last year to aid agencies providing humanitarian assistance to North Korea, a recent report showed. According to the annual report by the North Korea sanctions committee released on its website, 30 aid exemption requests from member states, UN entities and other international organizations were approved by the panel from Jan. 1-Dec. 31 in 2020. The report did not identify which countries and organizations received