WASHINGTON -- The new US envoy for North Korean human rights issues reiterated “grave” concerns Friday over China’s reported repatriation of North Korean defectors last week, as she stressed the international principle of non-refoulement should be upheld. Ambassador Julie Turner, who took office a week ago, made the remarks in a forum, referring to reports that Chinese authorities repatriated around 600 North Korean escapees, who were detained in the bordering Chinese provinces

US nuclear-capable bomber, deployed this week, would be first to ‘face annihilation,’ regime says

North Korea on Friday condemned the arrival of a US B-52 bomber in South Korea, threatening that US strategic assets deployed on the Korean Peninsula will become the "first targets of destruction." Pyongyang's criticism came in response to the landing of the nuclear-capable bomber, a key US strategic asset, at an air base in South Korea on Tuesday in its first known arrival in the South in a show of force against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. "The US would be well awa

South Korea's new defense minister held phone talks with his US counterpart for the first time Friday to discuss the allies' efforts to deter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's defense ministry said. The talks between Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin came as the two sides are set to meet in Seoul next month for the annual Security Consultative Meeting. It marked Shin's first phone talks with Austin since he took offic

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to build a "forward-looking" and "far-reaching" relationship with Russia during his meeting with its foreign minister, state media said Friday, as the two countries move to strengthen military ties amid speculation over their suspected arms deal. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made a two-day visit to Pyongyang on Wednesday in a follow-up to the Sept. 13 summit between the North Korean leader and Russian President Vladimi

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Moscow's foreign ministry said Thursday, as the top diplomat vowed "complete solidarity" with Pyongyang during his trip to the reclusive country, which came a month after a rare summit between their leaders. Lavrov, who arrived at Pyongyang for a two-day visit Wednesday, met with Kim in a meeting that lasted over an hour, Russia's foreign ministry said, without providing further details. Nort

South Korean and US authorities warned businesses against inadvertently hiring information technology staff from North Korea who mask their true identities to skirt international sanctions and earn cash. The two allies say the IT staff are being employed to bankroll the isolated country’s nuclear and missile programs. The joint advisory on Thursday, which follows previous warnings in May and December last year, includes fresh instructions to prevent North Korean freelancers from obtaining

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his visit to Pyongyang will mark an opportunity for "substantial results" for implementing agreements reached between their leaders, North Korea's state media said Thursday. Lavrov arrived at Pyongyang International Airport on Wednesday at the invitation of North Korea's foreign ministry "amid the enthusiasm of friendship growing higher than ever," the North's official Korean Central News Agency said in an English-lan

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in North Korea on Wednesday for a two-day visit, according to Russian media reports, as the two countries move to strengthen military ties after a recent bilateral summit. According to Sputnik and other Russian media outlets, Lavros arrived in Pyongyang for a two-day visit. He is expected to hold talks with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui, during the trip. The two sides are expected to discuss issues including bilateral military and econo

Russian FM to visit N. Korea as follow-up on Kim-Putin summit

Primary demand from NK is unlikely military technology, but ‘energy and food,’ he says

North Korea on Monday condemned Japan's move to accelerate its planned acquisition of Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States as an "arrogant choice," warning that it will heighten regional tensions. Earlier this month, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said Tokyo aims to purchase the missiles as early as fiscal 2025, a year earlier than planned, following talks with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, in Washington. He later said Japan is also reviewing speeding up th

North Korea on Friday denied the allegations that the Palestinian militant group Hamas used weapons produced by the country for an unprecedented attack on Israel. North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency, primarily targeting international audiences, published an article on the war titled "The current crisis in the Middle East portends a greater strategic setback for the United States." The statement, authored by Ri Kwang-song, a commentator on international affairs, notably a

South Korea's Unification Ministry on Friday officially confirmed China has resumed the forced repatriation of North Koreans following the opening of its border last month. The ministry called for an immediate halt to this practice, which breaches international human rights law. "It appears to be the fact that a significant number of North Koreans have been repatriated from three provinces in Northeast China," Koo Byung-sam, the Unification Ministry spokesperson, said during a tel

North Korea threatened Friday to stage the "most powerful and rapid first strike" against US strategic assets deployed to the Korean Peninsula, in the latest bellicose rhetoric that underscored Pyongyang's concerns about US military capabilities in the region. The nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier docked at the southeastern port of Busan on Thursday for a five-day visit -- the first since September 2022 -- in a show of force against North Korea. The visit came soon aft