Former US officials familiar with inter-Korean affairs said Monday that the incoming US administration is not likely to fight hard with South Korea on its ban that criminalizes sending propaganda leaflets into North Korea. A week ago, the parliament passed a bill making cross-border leafleting a felony punishable by up to three years in jail or by a fine as high as $27,000 from early next year. President Moon’s ruling Democratic Party of Korea, which pushed through the bill, has been

North Korea reported zero confirmed cases of COVID-19 despite having 10,960 people tested by early December, the World Health Organization said on Monday. According to the WHO’s regional situation report on the pandemic, North Korea had 791 people tested between Nov. 27 and Dec. 3, and 766 from Dec. 3 through Dec. 10, and all of them tested negative. A total of 21,586 samples from 10,960 people in the country were tested with reverse polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at an interval of 1

North Korea has conducted coronavirus tests on more than 10,000 people but no outbreak has been reported in the country yet, a World Health Organization report showed Tuesday. The North has conducted tests on a total of 10,960 people as of Dec. 10 and claims that no cases have been reported, according to the agency's latest weekly situation report on COVID-19. From Nov. 27 to Dec. 3 alone, 791 people were tested while another 766 tested negative from Dec. 3 to 10, the agency said. A total of

North Korea is exploiting the inter-Korean resort town on the east coast near Kumgangsan to pull more concessions from South Korea, and will step up pressure to gain more compromises in the weeks to come, experts told The Korea Herald. The North said Sunday it will expand the South Korean-built tourism facilities in its own way. A year ago in December, Pyongyang insisted Seoul tear down the resort, only to suspend the decision in January over coronavirus concerns. The tourism zone, which attra

North Korea has completed the construction of a factory manufacturing indigenous musical instruments as instructed by its late former leader Kim Jong-il nine years ago, state media reported Monday. The factory specializing in producing traditional instruments, including zither-like string instruments "ongnyugeum" and "gayageum," recently began operations in Pyongyang, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The construction of a comprehensive prod

North Korea said Sunday that it will expand the inter-Korean resort town on the east coast near Kumgangsan in its own way, in a move seen as trying to rally its people ahead of the January party congress. The regime is expected to unveil a new economic initiative there. In January this year, Pyongyang put off plans to tear down the South Korean-built resort facilities amid the coronavirus pandemic. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had insisted on their demolition, calling the facilities &ldqu

North Korea has been striving to stave off a COVID-19 outbreak on its soil ahead of a major national event, according to its state-controlled media Sunday. It plans to convene the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea next month, in which the Kim Jong-un regime is expected to unveil the direction of its major policies at home and abroad. No exact date has been announced yet. The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the powerful ruling party, called for more thorough coronavirus virus

North Korea's Premier Kim Tok-hun visited the Mount Kumgang region on the country's eastern coast and called for building a modern and all-inclusive international tourist area "our own way," state media reported Sunday. In response, the South Korean government expressed hope that the two sides will have consultations on the Mount Kumgang issue at an "appropriate time" in consideration of the COVID-19 situation. Kim's visit, which came despite a nationwide fight against the

One "mysterious structure" has been built at the main square in North Korea's capital city of Pyongyang, which appears to be related to its party congress slated for next month, a US website monitoring the communist country has said. According to 38 North on Friday, a small building surrounded by a high wall has been built in Kim Il-sung Square "right across the street from the viewing platform used by (leader) Kim Jong-un and party officials during parades." It also said t

North Korea's long suspected uranium enrichment facility in Kangson may instead be dedicated to producing related components, a former official of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday. Olli Heinonen, former IAEA deputy director-general for safeguards, noted the facility appears to be linked to the North's uranium program, but not in a way that had been suspected. "The available evidence suggests that Kangson is not a uranium enrichment plant, although it is likely still tied

Former Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul on Friday called on the incoming Joe Biden administration to be flexible on using sanctions against Pyongyang in achieving denuclearization.  “Ultimately, sanctions are not a purpose, but a means. It is Biden administration’s task to use it flexibly,” Kim said during a videoconference organized by the Unification Ministry on Friday, adding the Donald Trump administration had taken a “rigid” approach in working with sa

The US Congress is reportedly set to hold a hearing on January to discuss South Korea’s recent passage of a bill that penalizes activists sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets and other materials across the border, amid an escalating backlash from Washington and international human rights groups that Seoul is undermining free speech.  The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a bipartisan body in the House of Representatives that promotes, defends and advocates human rights, is set to conv

The unification ministry said Friday it is keeping a close eye on the North Korean foreign minister's status following a media report that he has recently been removed from a key party position. A local newspaper reported earlier in the day, citing an unidentified government source, that Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon appears to have lost his position as an alternate member of the political bureau of the Workers' Party Central Committee. "There has been no official announcement yet, but we

WASHINGTON -- The US government had expressed concerns about a South Korean bill prohibiting the launch of anti-North Korea leaflets across the border before the South Korean parliament passed the bill this week, a news report said Thursday. Citing unidentified sources, the Washington Post said Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun had "privately conveyed" the US government's concerns during his trip to Seoul that ended last Friday. The bill passed Monday by a 187-0 vote in South

Freedom of expression is not “absolute” and can be limited if it threatens the security of people, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said, making a case for the country’s recent passage of a law that penalizes activists sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border.   　 On Monday, the National Assembly, controlled by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, passed a bill that imposes punishments of up to three years in jail or fines of up to 30 million won ($2