North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has presided over a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, discussing anti-coronavirus measures and electing his sister as an alternate member of the bureau, state media said Sunday. The politburo meeting held on Saturday suggests that a key session of the country's rubber-stamp legislature Supreme People's Assembly, which was supposed to take place on Friday, has been postponed for unclear reasons because a politburo meeting usually takes place

A US spy aircraft has flown over South Korea, an aviation tracker said Friday, on an apparent mission to monitor North Korea. The US Air Force's RC-135W Rivet Joint was spotted in skies above South Korea, Aircraft Spots tweeted, without giving details on the time of its operation. The aviation tracker also said Saturday and Tuesday the same type of the aircraft was detected over the Korean Peninsula. The operation came as the North was to hold a key meeting of the country's rubber-stamp par

North Korea's rubber-stamp legislature was to hold a once-or-twice-a-year session on Friday, with economic and public health issues expected to take center stage amid its ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus. The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) usually meets in April every year to address the state budget and Cabinet reshuffling, but it has been closely watched from outside for any glimpse into the reclusive state's stance on foreign affairs, including its stance on denuclearization tal

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen a mortar firing drill, state media reported Friday, ahead of a key meeting of the country's rubber-stamp legislature to be watched closely for any message to the United States. Kim's attendance in the exercise suggests that a politburo or a plenary meeting of the country's ruling Workers' Party, which used to be held on the eve of a Supreme People's Assembly session, did not take place, and therefore, Friday's SPA meeting may not lead to significant

North Korea is among the 49 countries that are at high risk of food shortage and poverty due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the United Nation’s World Food Program said Thursday. 　 In its report, titled “COVID-19: Potential Impact on the World’s Poorest People,” the WFP analyzed the economic and food security implications of the pandemic, stressing “for many poor countries, the economic consequences will be more devastating than the disease itself.” 　 Th

North Korea may have tested dummy missiles at its Sinpo South Shipyard along its east coast recently, Washington-based website 38 North said Wednesday, citing commercial satellite images. The group monitors North Korea. Four unidentified objects were lined up next to the ejection pad, and the service tower on the pad looked operational, with vehicles lined up next to it. The images suggested the North tested dummy missiles, the group said. But the group was unsure whether Pyongyang had c

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said it has set this year's budget for North Korea aid projects at $22.5 million, up about $3 million from last year. "Prolonged dry spells, flooding and limited agricultural inputs, which led to increased food insecurity in 2019, will likely persist in 2020," UNICEF said in its "Humanitarian Action for Children 2020" report, calling for further external aid to assist North Koreans. The report said 10.4 million people in North Ko

North Korea's main newspaper highlighted the accomplishments of late leader Kim Jong-il on the 27th anniversary of his 1993 assumption of power Thursday, urging people to build on such feats to make the communist nation more powerful and prosperous. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's ruling Workers' Party, carried the message in an editorial, saying the late father of the current leader Kim Jong-un contributed greatly to advancing the country's self-reliant defense industry. "Com

Economic and domestic issues are expected to take center stage at North Korea's major parliamentary meeting this week, amid the ongoing fight against the new coronavirus and concerns over the fallout from the pandemic, experts said Thursday. The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), the North's rubber-stamp parliament, is to meet on Friday. It usually holds a plenary session every April, mostly to deal with the state budget and Cabinet reshuffle. Such meetings have been closely monitored abroad fo

North Korea continues to insist it has no confirmed cases of coronavirus infection, despite mounting skepticism while the global pandemic is spreading. 　 The reclusive nation has tested 709 people -- 11 foreigners and 698 North Koreans -- for COVID-19, with no positive test results, according to Reuters on Tuesday, citing the North’s weekly updates submitted to the World Health Organization. 　 It said the country has the capacity to test for the virus at its national reference laborator

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan held phone talks Wednesday over the North Korean nuclear issue and security situation on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said. The conversation between Lee Do-hoon and his Japanese counterpart, Shigeki Takizaki, came amid concerns that the global fight against the new coronavirus could overshadow the efforts to denuclearize North Korea and lay the groundwork for lasting peace on the peninsula. "The two sides agreed to continue cl

A US aid group has sent medical and rehabilitation equipment to North Korea for the treatment of people with pediatric development disabilities, according to the website of its co-founder. IGNIS Community sent a cargo ship last week from the Chinese coastal city of Dalian to the North's western port city of Nampo carrying medical treatment beds, pediatric therapeutic equipment and other items, Joy Yoon said in a statement on the website. "The medical equipment is scheduled to arrive in P

North Korea's main newspaper on Wednesday called for rooting out embezzlement and other illegal economic activities amid the country's efforts to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus. Pyongyang's state media outlets have emphasized the importance of self-reliance and "frontal breakthrough" frequently since leader Kim Jong-un said in December that he expects no easing in sanctions from the United States and called for a "frontal breakthrough" to tackle challenges. "A

North Korea has completed initial evacuation work for the construction of a general hospital in Pyongyang, only about 20 days after ground was broken for the project, state media reported Wednesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has shown much interest in the Pyongyang General Hospital project, attending its groundbreaking ceremony on March 17 and ordering construction be completed by Oct. 10, the 75th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party. "We have made achievements in com

North Korea is set to convene a session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, the country’s rubber-stamp parliament, on Friday, spawning speculation about what message it will deliver amid the global novel coronavirus pandemic.  It will be the 14th SPA’s third session, following the last in August. Around 700 officials will arrive in the capital for the meeting, during which the North revises its constitution, reviews the budget and conducts personnel reshuffles, among othe