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North Korea

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a country in East Asia, located in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering South Korea and China. Its capital, Pyongyang, is the country's largest city by both land area and population. It is a single-party state led by the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), and governed by Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un since 2012. It has a population of 24,052,231 (UN-assisted DPRK census 2008) made up of Koreans and a smaller Chinese minority. Japan 'opened' Korea in 1876 and annexed it in 1910. The Republic of Korea (ROK) was founded with US support in the south in August 1948 and the Soviet-backed Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the north in September that year.

Capital

Pyongyang

Head of State

Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un

Head of Government

Premier Kim Tok-hun

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South Korea

Seoul warns North Korea’s nuclear weapons will soon go ‘abroad’

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Kim Jong-un

‘Goat yoked to an ox cart’: Kim Jong-un fires minister amid factory delay

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looks at a robot during a ceremony to mark the completion of the first phase of Ryongsong Machine Complex’s modernisation on Monday. Photo: KCNA/dpa

South Korea

Crossing a line: did military spies help a student fly drones into North Korea?

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20 Jan 2026 - 5:26PM

South Korea

Seoul takes aim at North Korea’s leadership bunkers with ‘monster missile’

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Vietnam

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17 Jan 2026 - 8:53AM

Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary To Lam holds a meeting at the party’s central office in Hanoi on November 21, 2025. Photo: AFP

South Korea

South Korea’s Yoon sentenced to 5 years in prison over martial law charges

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16 Jan 2026 - 6:54PMvideocam

South Korea

South Korea-Japan summit exposes ‘strategic’ divide amid great-power tensions

While Seoul urged broader regional cooperation that would include China, Tokyo emphasised closer alignment with Washington.

14 Jan 2026 - 8:17PMvideocam

Kim Jong-un

Video | Kim’s sister blames ‘gang of hooligans’ in Seoul for drone

Kim Yo-jong’s latest statement claimed that captured drone footage included images of a uranium mine, border guard posts and the closed inter-Korean industrial complex at Kaesong.

13 Jan 2026 - 12:03PM

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Why China now needs North Korea’s denuclearisation

As optimism grows over an end to the Ukraine war, a weakening of Moscow’s support for Pyongyang may give Beijing new leverage to stabilise the Korean peninsula.

13 Jan 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing, China, in this picture released by the Korean Central News Agency on September 4. Photo: KCNA via Reuters

South Korea

‘Gang of hooligans’: rebuke from North Korea signals icy ties with South

The unusually coarse language from Kim Jong-un’s sister shows that Pyongyang has no intention of reconciling with Seoul, experts say.

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China-South Korea relations

North Korea: the elephant in the room when Xi met Lee in Beijing

Lee Jae Myung and Xi Jinping found common ground on ‘one China’ but there was no word on what to do about Pyongyang.

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Venezuela’s furious streets forces are angry, armed and asking questions

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A member of “3 Raices”’ a pro-government group known as “colectivos”, stands guard with an assault rifle at the organisation’s headquarters in the working-class neighbourhood of 23 de Enero, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Drones

North Korea revives drone claims in rebuff to Seoul’s outreach

Analysts dismiss the ‘implausible’ breach involving low-tech devices as a ploy, backing Seoul’s denial that its military was involved.

10 Jan 2026 - 11:51AM

An image released by North Korean state media that claims to show one of the drones Pyongyang’s military said it had intercepted from South Korea. Photo: KCNA/Handout

Japan

Fisherman, defector or spy? Mystery ‘ghost ship’ discovery puzzles Japan

Korean writing on the boat led to conjecture that it was a ‘ghost ship’ similar to those that washed up on Japanese shores in the past.

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Diplomacy

Editorial | For South Korea to reset relations with China, it must withstand US pressure

The South Korean president’s visit to China was a sign of a more pragmatic approach that departs from that of his US-leaning predecessor.

9 Jan 2026 - 7:15AM

North Korea nuclear crisis

Opinion | Maduro’s fate in Venezuela hardens North Korea’s nuclear resolve

It confirms Pyongyang’s belief that leaders seen as thorns in the US side who lack nuclear weapons ultimately fall victim to US intervention.

9 Jan 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

North Korea’s Kim set to grab nuclear security blanket after Venezuela operation

Xi will ‘continue to support Kim if he sees the US and its allies undercutting China’s own influence in the region’, analyst says.

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China-North Korea relations

China’s role in Korean peninsula stability tested amid nuclear submarine moves

Seoul’s calls for Chinese mediation seen to underscore Beijing’s central role in preserving stability between two Koreas.

8 Jan 2026 - 11:04AMvideocam

North Korea nuclear crisis

Opinion | As denuclearisation stalls, China will shape stability on Korean peninsula

South Korean leader’s Beijing visit makes clear need to manage inter-Korean tensions and establish stability en route to denuclearisation.

8 Jan 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung takes a selfie with Chinese President Xi Jinping using a Xiaomi smartphone after a state dinner in Beijing, China, on January 5. Xi gave Lee the smartphone during their first summit talks in Gyeongju, South Korea, in November. Photo: EPA / Yonhap

China-South Korea relations

Beijing urges Seoul to be ‘patient’ over Pyongyang nuclear talks

President Lee Jae Myung says he asked his Chinese counterpart to act as a mediator to help restart talks about Pyongyang’s arsenal.

7 Jan 2026 - 5:47PMvideocam

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks to journalists at a hotel in Shanghai on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

China-South Korea relations

Lee’s bid for South Korea-China reset can only go so far

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s success in improving relations with China means little when it comes to the issue of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.

7 Jan 2026 - 5:00PM

US-Venezuela conflict

The Maduro effect: US raid accelerates Asia’s drift away from Washington

Cambodia, Laos and North Korea are expected to tighten their embrace of Moscow and Beijing amid growing distrust of the US.

7 Jan 2026 - 7:16PMvideocam

China-South Korea relations

Li Qiang and Lee Jae Myung back free trade and multilateralism in Beijing talks

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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (left) shakes hands with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: Handout

China-South Korea relations

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urges South Korea to ‘make correct strategic choices’

Appeal to President Lee Jae Myung comes as Seoul is looking to ‘open a new chapter’ in the relationship after years of tension.

5 Jan 2026 - 10:59PMvideocam

South Korea

North Korea doubles down with missile test, slams ‘US hegemony’ over Maduro

The test also appears to indicate Pyongyang’s objection to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Beijing.

5 Jan 2026 - 5:30PMvideocam

Kim Jong-un

North Korea links Sunday’s missile launch to ‘recent geopolitical crisis’

Kim Jong-un, who denounced the US capture of Venezuela’s Maduro, said achievements have been made in preparing forces ‘for an actual war’.

5 Jan 2026 - 8:05AM

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North Korea

AI shaping world’s biggest infrastructure buildout: Nvidia CEO

Building the AI infrastructure will require trillions of dollars in investment, Huang says at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

South Korea’s ex-PM Han gets 23 years in prison for insurrection

Seoul warns North Korea’s nuclear weapons will soon go ‘abroad’

‘Goat yoked to an ox cart’: Kim Jong-un fires minister amid factory delay

By firing vice-minister Yang Sung-ho on the spot, Kim appears to be asserting his authority ahead of a crucial party congress, experts say.

Crossing a line: did military spies help a student fly drones into North Korea?

What began as a student’s claim of hunting radioactive waste has spiralled into a scandal linking military spies to dangerous border flights.

Seoul takes aim at North Korea’s leadership bunkers with ‘monster missile’

The missile, capable of carrying a warhead of up to eight tonnes, has been deployed to frontline military units.

Vietnam’s To Lam seeks to tighten grip on power as party congress begins

The party’s general secretary is eyeing a dual role similar to Xi Jinping’s in neighbouring China.

South Korea’s Yoon sentenced to 5 years in prison over martial law charges

The ruling comes days after prosecutors in a separate case demanded Yoon Suk-yeol be sentenced to death for masterminding insurrection.

South Korea-Japan summit exposes ‘strategic’ divide amid great-power tensions

While Seoul urged broader regional cooperation that would include China, Tokyo emphasised closer alignment with Washington.

.css-rcruog{color:#C79A00;}Video | Kim’s sister blames ‘gang of hooligans’ in Seoul for drone

Kim Yo-jong’s latest statement claimed that captured drone footage included images of a uranium mine, border guard posts and the closed inter-Korean industrial complex at Kaesong.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Why China now needs North Korea’s denuclearisation

As optimism grows over an end to the Ukraine war, a weakening of Moscow’s support for Pyongyang may give Beijing new leverage to stabilise the Korean peninsula.

‘Gang of hooligans’: rebuke from North Korea signals icy ties with South

The unusually coarse language from Kim Jong-un’s sister shows that Pyongyang has no intention of reconciling with Seoul, experts say.

North Korea: the elephant in the room when Xi met Lee in Beijing

Lee Jae Myung and Xi Jinping found common ground on ‘one China’ but there was no word on what to do about Pyongyang.

Venezuela’s furious streets forces are angry, armed and asking questions

The ousting of Maduro has left the ‘colectivos’ frustrated and bewildered, convinced that he was betrayed by close allies.

North Korea revives drone claims in rebuff to Seoul’s outreach

Analysts dismiss the ‘implausible’ breach involving low-tech devices as a ploy, backing Seoul’s denial that its military was involved.

Fisherman, defector or spy? Mystery ‘ghost ship’ discovery puzzles Japan

Korean writing on the boat led to conjecture that it was a ‘ghost ship’ similar to those that washed up on Japanese shores in the past.

Editorial | For South Korea to reset relations with China, it must withstand US pressure

The South Korean president’s visit to China was a sign of a more pragmatic approach that departs from that of his US-leaning predecessor.

Opinion | Maduro’s fate in Venezuela hardens North Korea’s nuclear resolve

It confirms Pyongyang’s belief that leaders seen as thorns in the US side who lack nuclear weapons ultimately fall victim to US intervention.

North Korea’s Kim set to grab nuclear security blanket after Venezuela operation

Xi will ‘continue to support Kim if he sees the US and its allies undercutting China’s own influence in the region’, analyst says.

China’s role in Korean peninsula stability tested amid nuclear submarine moves

Seoul’s calls for Chinese mediation seen to underscore Beijing’s central role in preserving stability between two Koreas.

Opinion | As denuclearisation stalls, China will shape stability on Korean peninsula

South Korean leader’s Beijing visit makes clear need to manage inter-Korean tensions and establish stability en route to denuclearisation.

Beijing urges Seoul to be ‘patient’ over Pyongyang nuclear talks

President Lee Jae Myung says he asked his Chinese counterpart to act as a mediator to help restart talks about Pyongyang’s arsenal.

Lee’s bid for South Korea-China reset can only go so far

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s success in improving relations with China means little when it comes to the issue of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.

The Maduro effect: US raid accelerates Asia’s drift away from Washington

Cambodia, Laos and North Korea are expected to tighten their embrace of Moscow and Beijing amid growing distrust of the US.

Li Qiang and Lee Jae Myung back free trade and multilateralism in Beijing talks

In meeting with visiting South Korean president, Chinese premier calls for cooperation in AI, new energy and high-end manufacturing.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urges South Korea to ‘make correct strategic choices’

Appeal to President Lee Jae Myung comes as Seoul is looking to ‘open a new chapter’ in the relationship after years of tension.

North Korea doubles down with missile test, slams ‘US hegemony’ over Maduro

The test also appears to indicate Pyongyang’s objection to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Beijing.

North Korea links Sunday’s missile launch to ‘recent geopolitical crisis’

Kim Jong-un, who denounced the US capture of Venezuela’s Maduro, said achievements have been made in preparing forces ‘for an actual war’.

Video | Kim’s sister blames ‘gang of hooligans’ in Seoul for drone

Opinion | Why China now needs North Korea’s denuclearisation