news highlight

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  North's Kim makes a rare approving remark on South's Lee SEOUL, April 07 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday made a rare approving remark about his South Korean counterpart, according to his sister Kim Yo-jong, who serves as vice department director of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Earlier in the day, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret during a Cabinet meeting over a cross-border drone incident. Hours later, Kim Yo-jong said “our leader” viewed Lee’s response as stemming from an &ldq April 7, 2026
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  UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution condemning North Korea SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has adopted a resolution condemning human rights violations in North Korea, calling for the country to be held accountable. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here on Tuesday, the resolution was passed unanimously by consensus at the council's 61st session in Geneva last Sunday, with South Korea among the 50 co-sponsoring countries. Such resolutions have been adopted annually since 2003, March 31, 2026
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  North Korea unveils upgraded solid-fuel ICBM engine, signaling push toward multiple-warhead capability SEOUL, March 29 (AJP) - North Korea disclosed a ground test of a new carbon-fiber solid-fuel engine designed for an intercontinental ballistic missile, showcasing a 26 percent leap in thrust as Pyongyang seeks to sharpen its nuclear deterrent amid widening U.S. military operations in the Middle East. The engine revealed Sunday generated a maximum thrust of 2,500 kilonewtons (kN), up from 1,971 kN recorded in a September 2024 test, the Korean Central News Agency reported. The upgrade March 29, 2026
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  Kim Jong-un reaffirms closer ties with Beijing in message to Xi SEOUL, March 28 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a message to Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirming Pyongyang’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, state media reported Saturday. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim sent a reply on Friday to Xi, who had congratulated him on his reappointment as chairman of North Korea’s State Affairs Commission. Kim expressed “deep thanks,” saying he felt the “invariable supp March 28, 2026
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  North Korea, Belarus seal closer axis in Pyongyang summit SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) -North Korea has drawn Belarus further into its orbit, formalizing ties along a likeminded axis of sanctioned states aligned with Russia. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko received an enthusiastic welcome from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his first two-day visit to Pyongyang, according to state media from both countries, as the two leaders moved to upgrade relations into what they called a “new stage.” The two strongmen — March 26, 2026
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  North Korea calls South Korea 'most hostile' SEOUL, March 24 (AJP) - North Korea called South Korea the "most hostile” country, vowing to maintain the country's status as a nuclear weapons state, state media reported on Tuesday. During a speech outlining policy priorities at the country's Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang the previous day, its leader Kim Jong-un said the country's nuclear status is irreversible and warned that any attempt by what he called "hostile forces" to infringe March 24, 2026
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  About 1 in 4 NK defectors show chromosomal anomalies; no proven radiation link SEOUL, March 23 (AJP) - Roughly one in four North Korean defectors who lived near the country’s main nuclear test site has shown signs of chromosomal abnormalities potentially consistent with radiation exposure, the Unification Ministry said Monday, while stressing that no causal link has been established. The findings are based on 2024 tests conducted by the National Radiation Emergency Medical Center under the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences. The study e March 23, 2026
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  NK assembly reaffirms Kim Jong-un as head of state, watched for Iran response SEOUL, March 23 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was reappointed as head of state at the opening session of the new Supreme People’s Assembly, closely watched for Pyongyang's rhetoric on inter-Korean relationship, U.S., and nuclear amid U.S.-led attacks on Iran over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. The Korean Central News Agency said the first session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly opened in Pyongyang and “again highly elevated Comrade Kim Jong-un March 23, 2026
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  North Korea conducts military drill with new battle tanks SEOUL, March 20 (AJP) - North Korea conducted an "offensive tactical drill of infantrymen and tankmen's sub-units," state media reported on Friday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), its leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the drill featuring "new-type main battle tanks" the previous day. Kim was quoted as saying the tanks, which made their debut demonstrating their "remarkable combat efficiency," are "highly superi March 20, 2026