Vietnam reaffirmed its commitment to international peace, stability and cooperation with Korea celebrating National Day and the 30th anniversary of Vietnam-Korea diplomatic relations on Friday at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul. Vietnam’s Independence Day, which falls on Friday, commemorates Vietnam’s declaration of independence from France and reading of the declarations of independence of Vietnam by Vietnam’s first President Ho Chi Minh at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi in 1945. Vietnam wa

Meeting comes as N.Korea has lambasted S.Korea for conducting major military exercise with US

North Korea has held the first meeting of active commanding officers of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards (WPRG) in three years to review its combat capability, Pyongyang's state media said Wednesday. The WPRG is a civil defense organization of around 5.7 million workers and farmers, about a quarter of the country's population. The previous such meeting was held in February 2019. The meeting, held Monday and Tuesday in Pyongyang, was organized to "review the work of the Party organiza

No new significant activity detected at Tunnel No. 3 in Punggye-ri

South Korea's unification ministry said Tuesday it has requested a 15.1 percent hike in its 2023 budget, compared with last year, for humanitarian cooperation with North Korea for the new government's "audacious initiative" revolving around plans to offer a set of bold economic incentives to Pyongyang in return for denuclearization steps. According to the ministry's budget proposal reported to the Cabinet, 751 billion won (US$558 million) -- a 15.1 percent increase from

WASHINGTON -- Recent satellite imagery suggest that work to repair North Korea's main nuclear test site in Punggye-ri may have been suspended due to flood damage, a US monitor said Monday. The satellite imagery, taken on Wednesday, showed no significant activities at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, according to Beyond Parallel, a project of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. "No significant activity is observed at Tunnel No. 3 of the Pungg

North Korea remains ready to carry out a nuclear experiment, but no "particular" signs have emerged yet that the test is imminent, South Korea's defense minister said Monday. In a parliamentary briefing, Lee Jong-sup also said that the reclusive regime appears to be continuing preparations for a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) launch. Lee's remarks came amid concerns that Pyongyang could engage in provocative acts on the p

North Korea's outbreak of suspected COVID-19 cases in the northeastern province of Ryanggang earlier this week was caused by influenza, its state media said Friday. Earlier, the North said four fever cases suspected of carrying "malignant epidemic" were reported Tuesday in Ryanggang Province bordering China, just two weeks after it declared victory over the coronavirus crisis that began in mid-May. "According to information from the State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headqua

North Korea reported four new fever cases in Ryanggang Province on Thursday, just 13 days after the country claimed victory over the COVID-19 pandemic. Citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters, Pyongyang’s state media said four fever cases suspected of being infected with the “malignant epidemic” occurred in Ryanggang Province in the northeastern region on Tuesday. Instead of directly referring to COVID-19, the North has been calling the coronav

North Korea reported four new fever cases in the northeastern province of Ryanggang, its state media said Thursday, just two weeks after the country claimed victory over the coronavirus crisis. Four fever cases suspected of being infected with "malignant epidemic" occurred in Ryanggang Province on Aug. 23, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. Health authorities immediately locked down the area, urgen

S. Korea conducts tabletop exercise simulating N. Korea imminent use of nuclear weapons　

North Korea called Wednesday for heightened alert against a new virus detected in China, just weeks after the country claimed victory over the COVID-19 crisis. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's Workers' Party, carried an article warning that the new zoonotic virus called Langya henipavirus could lead to "another pandemic." "Some experts say the virus could take away lives like the new coronavirus if it is infected among people as the virus can cause severe healt

The United States has extended its travel ban on North Korea for one more year, a US government notice showed Wednesday. The State Department announced the extension of the ban through Aug. 31, 2023, in the Federal Register notice published Tuesday (US time). The restriction -- initially imposed in 2017 and since renewed every year -- was set to expire at the end of this month. "The Department of State has determined there continues to be serious risk to US citizens and nationals of arrest

North Korea ratchets up saber-rattling using Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise as a pretext, however

The family of Lee Dae-jun, a South Korean government worker who was shot dead by North Korean soldiers at sea in September 2020, will be meeting with Elizabeth Salmon, the United Nations’ newly appointed special rapporteur on the human rights situation in North Korea. Lee Rae-jin, the deceased official’s older brother, told The Korea Herald that the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul confirmed to him on Monday that the family’s meeting with Salmon would be on Sept. 3. According