South Korea’s newly inaugurated leftist president, Lee Jae-myung, announced his intent Thursday to prioritize closer ties with North Korea, China, and Russia, signaling a sharp departure from the staunch U.S. alliance under his impeached conservative predecessor. Lee’s comments came during a press conference marking his first month in office.
North Korea will next week open its new Wonsan‑Kalma tourist zone on the nation's east coast, a project it calls the “proud first step” toward a tourism‑driven economic revival.
North Korea continues to impose harsh civil rights restrictions more than two years after the global COVID-19 emergency officially ended, according to a senior U.N. human rights official. The regime under dictator Kim Jong-un maintains post-pandemic lockdown measures that further isolate and control the population, despite international pressure and growing evidence of widespread human rights abuses.
North Korea launched a scathing attack on Israel Thursday, defending Iran’s controversial nuclear ambitions while accusing Israel of “state-sponsored terrorism” and labeling it a “cancer-like entity.” Pyongyang’s statement followed Israel’s precision strike against Iranian nuclear sites and military leadership, a response to intelligence that Tehran may be preparing atomic weapons.
Russia announced on Monday the formation of a new cybersecurity alliance with 11 authoritarian-leaning nations, including Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, North Korea, Iran, and China’s allies. The pact, titled “International Cooperation in the Field of Information Security,” seeks to promote a state-controlled model for internet governance and digital policy under the United Nations.
North Korea now has enough fissile material to build up to 90 nuclear warheads, a sharp rise from previous estimates of 20 to 60, according to a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report released Friday. Despite years of U.N. sanctions and U.S.-South Korea military drills, Pyongyang has rapidly advanced its nuclear weapons and missile programs, posing an escalating threat to the United States and its allies.
North Korea's naval ambitions suffered a significant blow this week when a newly launched 5,000-ton destroyer capsized during its launch at the Chongjin shipyard.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has elevated his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, to the international stage by bringing her to an official diplomatic event at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang. The appearance marks what experts are calling her first formal role in diplomacy, reinforcing long-standing speculation that she is being groomed to succeed her father.
On May 8, 2025, North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles from its eastern port city of Wonsan, with the farthest traveling approximately 800 kilometers (497 miles) before landing in the sea.
