North Korea has again extended the vacation of kindergartens and schools across the country over coronavirus concerns, the unification ministry said Thursday. Late last month, the North said that it had postponed the opening of kindergartens and schools, without mentioning exact dates, as part of the country's stepped-up efforts to prevent an outbreak of the new coronavirus in the country. "Recently, North Korean state media reported that school breaks were extended once again," the

The unification ministry said Thursday that it has designated two border cities as independent operators of humanitarian aid projects for North Korea as part of efforts to bolster cross-border exchange and cooperation. The designation of Paju and Goyang, both located near the country's border with North Korea, brought the number of independent North Korea assistance project operators to six, though such projects are unlikely to move forward anytime soon as inter-Korean relations have been stal

North Korea has banned people from using public transportation without wearing masks as a precautionary measure to block the outbreak of the new coronavirus, state media reported Thursday. North Korea has not reported any confirmed COVID-19 outbreak, but it has reportedly put thousands of people under medical supervision for potential infection and taken various preventive measures, including blocking its border and enforcing strict quarantines. The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of th

North Korea's trade with Russia jumped about 40 percent on-year in 2019 despite global sanctions imposed on Pyongyang, data showed Wednesday. According to the data disclosed by the International Trade Centre, bilateral trade between North Korea and Russia came to $47.9 million last year, up 40.6 percent from a year earlier. North Korea imported $44.9 million worth of products from Russia last year, with its exports to the neighboring country reaching $3 million, the data showed. Petroleum

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ceremony to break ground on a general hospital in Pyongyang, calling it a "crucial task" to prop up the country's public health, state media reported Wednesday. The ceremony to begin the construction of Pyongyang General Hospital marked Kim's first reported public activity in the capital city in about three weeks. Recent state media reports suggested that Kim had been away from Pyongyang to observe military drills along the east coast, i

Russia's Embassy in North Korea has released photos showing all priests and worshippers wearing masks during a recent Mass service at a Russian Orthodox church in Pyongyang in an indication that the country is on high alert for the coronavirus. "The service was carried out in compliance with all necessary precautions ... the parishioners who were quarantined and those attending the mass wore masks and the rituals were performed in sanitary conditions," the embassy said in a post Mond

UNICEF said a fund of $840,000 is required to help North Korea respond to the coronavirus pandemic, the UN agency said in a report. North Korea has not yet reported a confirmed case of the virus nor a death associated with the disease, which many watchers outside have cast doubt on. The reclusive communist state has banned entry of travelers, tightened borders against imported goods and ramped up disinfection measure. According to the report out of $840,312 North Korea needs to navigate the

North Korean diplomat Choe Kang-il, an expert on US affairs, has been appointed as the new ambassador to Austria, replacing a son-in-law of the country’s founder Kim Il-sung, according to North’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.  Choe, a deputy director general for North American affairs at North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, has been part of nuclear talks with the US, including working-level negotiations ahead of US-North Korea summits in Singapore and Hanoi. He was

A North Korean nuclear negotiator has been appointed to replace a son-in-law of the country's national founder Kim Il-sung as ambassador to Austria, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Choe Kang-il, acting director-general of the Foreign Ministry's North American affairs bureau, has been involved in nuclear negotiations with the United States, including preparatory talks ahead of the second summit in Hanoi last year between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Don

North Korea's main newspaper on Friday called for an incentive-based system for scientists and engineers in an apparent move to revitalize the sectors amid economic challenges stemming from global sanctions. North Korea has emphasized advancement in science and technology and an economy independent of outside help as it braces for a prolonged fight against crippling sanctions led by the United States amid an impasse in nuclear talks. "(We) must ensure that a portion of the profit made fr

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's attendance at this week's artillery fire exercise has added to speculation that he has been away from Pyongyang for an extended period of time due possibly to coronavirus concerns. According to state media reports, Kim supervised the coastal artillery drill on Thursday, just days after he oversaw a similar exercise on March 9. These drills followed two more artillery exercises held on March 2 and Feb. 28 with the leader in attendance. The North did not discl

WASHINGTON -- North Korea's recent engine testing suggests the regime may be ready to test a more advanced intercontinental ballistic missile that could pose a greater threat to the United States, a US general said Thursday. Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, commander of the US Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, offered the assessment in a written statement to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces ahead of a hearing on fiscal year 2021 priorities for

North Korea has lifted the quarantine placed on about 70 foreigners over coronavirus concerns, state media reported Friday, bringing the total number of foreigners released from isolation to nearly 300. Those released have been under medical supervision in accordance with guidelines from the central emergency control center, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Last week, the North lifted the quarantine on 221 foreigners. The total number of foreigners allowed to leave quara

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un guided an artillery fire competition, stressing that modern warfare is the "warfare of artillery pieces," state media reported Friday. His attendance in the fire competition held Thursday came after the North test-fired three projectiles off its east coast Monday, the second weapons test that the communist state had carried out this month. "The competition was aimed to suddenly make selective inspection and evaluation of how the artillery forces

North Korea's official newspaper on Thursday called for stepped-up efforts to build a self-reliant economy, saying localization is a path the country has to take "until the end" to prevent itself from becoming subjugated by outside forces. North Korea has emphasized to build an economy independent of external support as it is bracing for what would be a prolonged fight against crippling sanctions led by the United States amid an impasse over their denuclearization negotiations. &qu