https://www.scmp.com/rss/295610/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong He accused the United States of “state terror”. He vowed North Korea would never surrender its nuclear weapons. And yet Kim Jong-un’s address to the Supreme People’s Assembly contained one notable omission: any direct attack on Donald Trump. That absence was an attempt to leave the door to diplomacy ajar, analysts said, even as North Korea’s supreme leader slammed it shut on the notion that his nuclear-armed nation could be pressured, coerced or subdued like other US adversaries. “The United... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347683/north-koreas-kim-slams-us-state-terror-spares-trump-third-term-address?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347683/north-koreas-kim-slams-us-state-terror-spares-trump-third-term-address?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 06:55:43 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea on Saturday fired about 10 ballistic missiles towards the eastern sea, South Korea’s military said, staging its own show of force as the rival South conducts a joint military exercise with the United States. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from an area near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, but did not immediately say how far they flew. Japan’s Defence Ministry said the weapons landed in waters outside the country’s exclusive economic zone. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346587/north-korea-fires-10-ballistic-missiles-during-us-south-korea-military-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346587/north-korea-fires-10-ballistic-missiles-during-us-south-korea-military-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 07:11:31 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and US President Donald Trump discussed the possible reopening of talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a meeting in Washington, Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday. Kim told Trump he was the only Western leader to have had dialogue with North Korea’s Kim and was currently the only person who could resolve issues on the Korean peninsula, Yonhap quoted Kim as telling reporters in Washington. “President Trump said he was curious if... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346571/trump-tells-south-korea-he-only-leader-who-can-break-north-korean-deadlock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346571/trump-tells-south-korea-he-only-leader-who-can-break-north-korean-deadlock?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:15:08 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The United States has imposed sanctions on two companies and six individuals for their roles in operations that used information technology workers in foreign countries to raise money for North Korea. The Treasury Department said the schemes, orchestrated by the North Korean government, had systematically defrauded US businesses and generated revenue to fund North Korea’s weapons programmes, including nearly US$800 million in 2024. The department also accused workers associated with North Korea... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346426/us-sanctions-2-firms-6-individuals-funding-north-korean-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346426/us-sanctions-2-firms-6-individuals-funding-north-korean-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 01:35:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un criticised the United States and South Korea for proceeding with their annual joint military exercises at a perilous moment for global security and warned that any challenge to the North’s safety would bring “terrible consequences”. Kim Yo-jong’s statement Tuesday came a day after the allies started their 11-day Freedom Shield exercise involving thousands of troops, while Washington also wages an escalating war in the Middle East. Without... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346078/terrible-consequences-north-korea-hits-out-over-us-south-korea-military-exercises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346078/terrible-consequences-north-korea-hits-out-over-us-south-korea-military-exercises?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 07:19:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States began a large military exercise with South Korea involving thousands of troops Monday while also waging an escalating war in the Middle East. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff has said about 18,000 Korean troops would take part in Freedom Shield, which runs through March 19. US Forces Korea has not confirmed the number of American troops participating in the training in South Korea. The allies’ combined exercise comes amid South Korean media speculation that Washington is... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345923/us-begins-large-military-exercise-south-korea-while-attacking-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345923/us-begins-large-military-exercise-south-korea-while-attacking-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 03:45:34 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Reports that Washington could redirect some US military assets from South Korea to the Middle East have stirred unease in Seoul, reviving concerns that a crisis elsewhere could compromise deterrence on the Korean peninsula. Analysts said a redeployment of missile-defence systems could leave South Korea feeling vulnerable to North Korean “adventurism” and signal Washington’s “shifting priorities and lack of seriousness” towards its Indo-Pacific allies. Citing a South Korean government official,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345678/south-korea-uneasy-us-weighs-moving-air-defences-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345678/south-korea-uneasy-us-weighs-moving-air-defences-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:37:06 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a newly built destroyer and oversaw a test launch of what state media called a “strategic cruise missile” this week, casting the navy’s build-up as a key part of Pyongyang’s evolving nuclear deterrent, analysts said. The two-day inspection of the 5,000-tonne destroyer Choe Hyon came as North Korea was closely watching recent US military strikes on Iran and ahead of US-South Korea joint exercises set to begin on March 9. Kim hailed the warship as a “new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345526/kim-tests-missile-new-destroyer-north-korea-draws-lessons-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345526/kim-tests-missile-new-destroyer-north-korea-draws-lessons-iran-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 05:56:25 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Kim Jong-un will have seen the footage. A supreme leader of nearly 37 years, killed alongside members of his own family. Citizens celebrating in the streets. Rivals already angling for a role in the political transition. If the US-Israeli strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday was intended to send a message to the world, analysts say North Korea almost certainly received it. Though the lesson likely learned – do not negotiate with the US and never be in Iran’s position... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345084/us-strikes-iran-north-korea-sees-nuclear-vindication?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345084/us-strikes-iran-north-korea-sees-nuclear-vindication?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 04:07:48 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gifted new sniper rifles to top government and military officials following a weeklong ruling party congress celebrating his leadership, with state media highlighting an image of his teenage daughter taking aim at a shooting range as her increasingly prominent appearances fuel speculation Kim is grooming her as a future leader. Kim presented the rifles to senior party and military officials on Friday, calling them a sign of his “absolute trust” and gratitude for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344959/north-korea-unveils-image-kims-teenage-daughter-firing-rifle-shooting-range?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344959/north-korea-unveils-image-kims-teenage-daughter-firing-rifle-shooting-range?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong During North Korea’s latest military parade, images of its leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter wearing near-identical leather coats have prompted Pyongyang observers to speculate whether the stage is set for the next chapter in the ruling family’s history. For them, the “twin look” is another instance of carefully directed political theatre to burnish the standing of the Kims in the reclusive country for the long term. At the close of the ruling Workers’ Party’s ninth congress on Wednesday... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344929/why-twin-look-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-daughter-sparks-succession-talk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344929/why-twin-look-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-daughter-sparks-succession-talk?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has warned that Pyongyang is ready for confrontation with the US but has also left the door open for dialogue, depending on Washington’s stance. The prospects for North Korea-US relations hinge “entirely on the attitude of the United States”, he said on Wednesday. Pyongyang was prepared for both “peaceful coexistence or eternal confrontation”, but the choice lay with Washington. So long as the US respected North Korea’s nuclear-armed state status, which is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344668/confrontation-or-dialogue-you-choose-north-koreas-kim-tells-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344668/confrontation-or-dialogue-you-choose-north-koreas-kim-tells-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been given a promotion in the ruling party structure during a rare party congress, state media reported Tuesday. The Workers’ Party Central Committee on Monday named Kim Yo-jong – previously a deputy department director – as a full department director, Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Thousands of party elites have packed the capital for a once-in-five-years summit of the ruling Workers’ Party, a gathering... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344391/north-korean-leader-kim-jong-uns-sister-takes-major-step-party-rungs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344391/north-korean-leader-kim-jong-uns-sister-takes-major-step-party-rungs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 01:03:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to lift living standards as he opened a landmark congress, state media said on Friday, offering a glimpse of economic strains within the sanctions-hit nation. The supreme leader took centre stage with a speech to start the Workers’ Party congress, a gathering that directs state efforts on everything from house building to war planning. Held just once every five years, the days-long congress offers a rare glimpse into the workings of a nation where even... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344155/north-koreas-kim-opens-rare-party-congress-pledge-fix-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344155/north-koreas-kim-opens-rare-party-congress-pledge-fix-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:28:17 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China has joined Russia in congratulating North Korea on the conclave of its ruling party, hailing economic achievements under the leadership of Kim Jong-un and pledging to work with Pyongyang to promote regional peace. According to state news agency Xinhua, the Central Committee of China’s Communist Party sent a congratulatory message to Pyongyang on Thursday, asserting that the ruling Workers’ Party had in recent years helped to develop the North Korean economy and improve the lives of its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344118/china-applauds-north-korea-party-conclave-new-historical-period-ties-xinhua?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344118/china-applauds-north-korea-party-conclave-new-historical-period-ties-xinhua?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:00:17 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has signalled that his country’s armed forces will play an even more “outstanding” role over the next five years – an indication that the coming party congress will map out a new defence build-up, including advances in nuclear and missile capabilities, analysts say. “The next five years will be a period when our army’s exceptional role, which no one can replace, rises even higher,” Kim said on Sunday during a visit to the Ministry of National Defence marking the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342920/north-koreas-kim-signals-party-congress-will-focus-exceptional-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342920/north-koreas-kim-signals-party-congress-will-focus-exceptional-military-build?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A top South Korean official has hinted at a possible shift in frozen ties between the United States and North Korea, raising expectations that Washington could articulate a more open security stance on Pyongyang. In an informal meeting with South Korean reporters in Washington on Thursday, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said “there may be some new progress in a few days”. His remarks come amid speculation that US President Donald Trump could seek a meeting with North Korean... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342727/frozen-us-north-korea-ties-may-see-new-progress-seoul-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342727/frozen-us-north-korea-ties-may-see-new-progress-seoul-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 01:30:15 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Fears over the weakening of global momentum to rein in North Korea’s nuclear ambitions have mounted with the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New Start) between the United States and Russia, with observers warning that an emboldened Pyongyang could also spark a domino effect regionally. For 15 years, the treaty functioned as a stabilising force between the world’s two largest nuclear powers, setting limits on deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems while... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342556/bad-news-south-korea-us-russia-nuclear-pact-expires-sparking-fears-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342556/bad-news-south-korea-us-russia-nuclear-pact-expires-sparking-fears-arms-race?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea is set to use its coming Workers’ Party congress to signal an escalation towards carrying out large-scale nuclear retaliation in the event of a conflict with the US, with analysts expecting Pyongyang to unveil plans centred on intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of striking American cities. The move was foreshadowed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday, when he said he would announce next-phase plans to further strengthen the country’s “nuclear war deterrence... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341913/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-set-signal-stronger-nuclear-deterrence-posture-congress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341913/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-set-signal-stronger-nuclear-deterrence-posture-congress?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 01:30:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Pentagon foresees a “more limited” role in deterring North Korea, with South Korea taking primary responsibility for the task, a Pentagon policy document released on Friday said, a move likely to raise concern in Seoul. South Korea hosts about 28,500 US troops in combined defence against North Korea’s military threat and Seoul has raised its defence budget by 7.5 per cent for this year. “South Korea is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with critical but more... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3341082/pentagon-plans-more-limited-north-korean-role-shifts-defence-burden-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3341082/pentagon-plans-more-limited-north-korean-role-shifts-defence-burden-south?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 02:20:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea is producing enough nuclear material a year for up to 20 weapons, South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday. The North carried out its first atomic test in 2006 in violation of UN resolutions and is now believed to possess dozens of nuclear warheads. “Even now, nuclear materials sufficient to produce 10 to 20 nuclear weapons a year are still being produced” in North Korea, Lee told reporters at a new year news conference. At the same time, the North is continuing to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340637/seoul-warns-north-koreas-nuclear-weapons-will-soon-go-abroad-posing-global-danger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3340637/seoul-warns-north-koreas-nuclear-weapons-will-soon-go-abroad-posing-global-danger?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 04:03:08 +0000 Chan Young Bang Chan Young Bang The Ukraine war and Donald Trump’s return to the White House have significantly altered northeast Asia’s geopolitical landscape. North Korea’s defence treaty with Russia and leader Kim Jong-un’s decision to deploy troops to support Moscow have shattered any remaining illusions of strategic restraint. While Russia is believed to be supplying North Korea with finance and technology, Japan and South Korea are accelerating military spending and preparing for long-term confrontation, potentially –... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339398/why-timing-may-be-right-china-press-north-korea-denuclearisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3339398/why-timing-may-be-right-china-press-north-korea-denuclearisation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s influential sister has delivered a scathing warning to the South’s government after drones were reportedly flown across the border earlier this month. Kim Yo-jong, de facto spokeswoman for the ruling Workers’ Party, denounced South Korea’s leaders as a “gang of hooligans” and said the recent drone incidents had reinforced Pyongyang’s view that inter-Korean relations were fundamentally hostile. In a statement released on Sunday via the official Korean Central... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339529/why-north-koreas-gang-hooligans-rebuke-signals-freeze-inter-korean-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339529/why-north-koreas-gang-hooligans-rebuke-signals-freeze-inter-korean-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 02:07:45 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has completed only seven months in office after tumultuous domestic politics resulted in the ousting of his predecessor Yoon Suk-yeol. But already, there is little question his first year will be remembered for his industrious efforts to restore relations with China while maintaining close ties with the United States. His trip to China this week may have been the first by a South Korean leader in eight years. But he has also now met Chinese President Xi... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3339205/south-korea-reset-relations-china-it-must-withstand-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3339205/south-korea-reset-relations-china-it-must-withstand-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 23:15:11 +0000 Gabriela Bernal Gabriela Bernal The US removal of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro from power has reverberated far beyond Latin America. In Pyongyang, where regime survival is the paramount concern and every US action is scrutinised for hostile intent, the deposing of a sitting head of state sends an unmistakable message: dialogue with Washington is a dangerous gamble, and only nuclear weapons guarantee survival. The Venezuela operation may have killed the prospects for meaningful US-North Korea diplomacy in 2026 before they even... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338953/maduros-fate-venezuela-hardens-north-koreas-nuclear-resolve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3338953/maduros-fate-venezuela-hardens-north-koreas-nuclear-resolve?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The United States’ decapitation operation against Venezuela will reinforce North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, an aspiration that will continue to draw China’s “tacit tolerance”, according to analysts. After the US military abducted Nicolas Maduro during an attack on Venezuela on Saturday, Pyongyang criticised Washington’s actions as “wildly” violating the sovereignty of Caracas. It was one of a slew of countries that issued swift criticism of the US move. In a statement on Sunday, the North Korean... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339129/kim-jong-un-expected-cling-nuclear-security-blanket-after-venezuela-decapitation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339129/kim-jong-un-expected-cling-nuclear-security-blanket-after-venezuela-decapitation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi As the new year unfolds, China finds itself grappling with strategic pressures fuelled by two US treaty allies at its doorstep – Japan and South Korea. In the second of a two-part series, Seong Hyeon Choi looks at how competing pressures in the Korean peninsula may complicate China’s security calculus. Read the first part here. In 2025, there was a major shift in China’s security environment relating to the Korean peninsula, as the North grew more open in its push for nuclear weapons and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338853/korean-peninsula-arms-race-heating-how-will-china-react-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338853/korean-peninsula-arms-race-heating-how-will-china-react-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Lee Min-Yong Lee Min-Yong At the recent South Korea-China summit, both sides agreed to improve dialogue, rebuild trust and promote regional peace and stability, marking a first step towards a normalisation of relations. While the Beijing meeting produced no concrete agreement for peace on the Korean peninsula, it reaffirmed the peninsula’s stability and peace as a common interest – paving the way for cooperation. The prolonged stalemate over North Korea’s nuclear programme is no longer just a diplomatic impasse. The... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3338207/denuclearisation-stalls-china-will-shape-stability-korean-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3338207/denuclearisation-stalls-china-will-shape-stability-korean-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,Alcott Wei,Oliver Balch Seong Hyeon Choi,Alcott Wei,Oliver Balch Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “patience” over North Korea’s nuclear programme, the South’s president, Lee Jae Myung, said on Wednesday. Speaking during a visit to Shanghai, Lee said he had asked Xi to act as a “mediator for peace” on the Korean peninsula, including on the nuclear issue. He said all channels between the North and South had been blocked and there was “zero trust” between the two sides. “President Xi noted the efforts until now and said patience is needed,” Lee said. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339046/chinese-president-xi-jinping-urges-seoul-be-patient-over-north-korean-nuclear-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3339046/chinese-president-xi-jinping-urges-seoul-be-patient-over-north-korean-nuclear-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 09:01:11 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The United States’ dramatic abduction of Venezuela’s former leader Nicolas Maduro at the weekend has sent shock waves across Asia, where analysts say authoritarian rulers, already deeply wary of Washington’s erratic behaviour, are likely to draw closer to Moscow and Beijing. US special forces stormed Maduro’s home in Caracas early on Saturday morning, seizing him and his wife before flying them to the US, where both face federal charges of narcoterrorism and drug trafficking. Washington has long... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338994/maduro-effect-us-raid-accelerates-asias-drift-away-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338994/maduro-effect-us-raid-accelerates-asias-drift-away-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 04:22:54 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A missile test by North Korea in the aftermath of the US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro signals what analysts have said is Pyongyang’s cautionary stance over the vulnerability of countries without credible military and nuclear deterrence. While overseeing the launch of multiple missiles on Sunday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un alluded to the US attacks on Venezuela and Maduro’s arrest a day earlier and Iran in June as justifications to bolster his nuclear arsenal. The test of what... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338745/north-koreas-missile-test-after-maduros-arrest-signals-denuclearisation-equals-suicide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338745/north-koreas-missile-test-after-maduros-arrest-signals-denuclearisation-equals-suicide?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 06:37:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea’s reclusive leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the Sunday test-firing of hypersonic missiles in a drill made necessary by “the recent geopolitical crisis”, state media quoted him as saying. The report on Monday by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) confirmed and added details about North Korea’s first missile launch of 2026, including that it employed a “cutting-edge” new weapon system using hypersonic missiles first tested in October. Kim was not present for that launch, reports at the time... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3338706/north-korea-links-sundays-missile-launch-recent-geopolitical-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3338706/north-korea-links-sundays-missile-launch-recent-geopolitical-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:03:57 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles off its east coast on Sunday, Seoul’s military said, its first launch of the year just hours before South Korea’s leader heads to China for a summit. Sunday’s launch follows a US military operation against Pyongyang’s socialist ally Venezuela that snatched President Nicolas Maduro out of his country – for decades a nightmare scenario for North Korea’s leadership, which has long accused Washington of seeking to remove it from power. Seoul’s defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3338644/north-korean-missile-falls-near-japan-takaichi-orders-safety-checks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3338644/north-korean-missile-falls-near-japan-takaichi-orders-safety-checks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 00:45:32 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea will seek Beijing’s support on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and press to lift an unofficial cultural content ban when he travels to China for a state visit next week, according to Seoul. Lee’s four-day trip from Sunday will make him the first sitting South Korean president to visit China since 2019. Lee will first travel to Beijing, where he is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday afternoon, their second summit in two months. They... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338558/china-state-visit-south-koreas-lee-will-push-denuclearisation-end-culture-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338558/china-state-visit-south-koreas-lee-will-push-denuclearisation-end-culture-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 12:37:47 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea said on Monday it fired long-range strategic cruise missiles into the sea to test the country’s nuclear deterrence, days after it showed apparent progress in the construction of its first nuclear-powered submarine. The official Korean Central News Agency reported that the missile launches occurred off the country’s west coast on Sunday in the presence of leader Kim Jong-un. State media shared photos of the missiles being fired and hitting a target. It said Kim expressed “great... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3337964/north-korea-tests-long-range-cruise-missiles-after-showcasing-nuclear-submarine-progress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3337964/north-korea-tests-long-range-cruise-missiles-after-showcasing-nuclear-submarine-progress?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 01:08:44 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea’s move to publicly reveal the full hull and displacement of its first nuclear-powered submarine under construction appears to be a strategic counter to bids by the US and South Korea to expand their undersea capabilities. North Korea’s state media on Thursday released images of leader Kim Jong-un inspecting a “nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine” being built at an undisclosed location. Kim was accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-ju and daughter Kim Ju-ae, believed to be... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337712/north-koreas-new-nuclear-sub-reveal-bid-counter-us-south-korean-naval-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337712/north-koreas-new-nuclear-sub-reveal-bid-counter-us-south-korean-naval-power?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:13 +0000 Hannan Hussain Hannan Hussain Seoul has been putting its weight behind lowering the temperature on stalled US-North Korea denuclearisation talks. The issue remains fraught with tension: Washington has grown increasingly sceptical of the prospect of Pyongyang’s complete denuclearisation and attempts to engage North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have met with limited success. For Pyongyang, any discussion of its nuclear programme appears to be a red line. Kim has brooked no compromise on the issue, which is domestically important... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3336536/seoul-holds-key-us-north-korea-denuclearisation-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3336536/seoul-holds-key-us-north-korea-denuclearisation-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea sent troops to clear mines in Russia’s Kursk region earlier this year, leader Kim Jong-un said in a speech carried on Saturday by state media, in a rare acknowledgement of the deadly tasks assigned to its soldiers there. Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to fight for Moscow as it presses ahead with its nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies. Analysts say Russia is giving North Korea financial aid, military technology,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3336306/north-koreas-kim-reveals-soldiers-cleared-mines-russia-rare-public-statement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3336306/north-koreas-kim-reveals-soldiers-cleared-mines-russia-rare-public-statement?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 03:22:40 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow South Korea’s recent moves to lower tensions with Pyongyang – from removing its propaganda loudspeakers to downplaying the North’s human rights record – may ease frictions on the peninsula, but analysts say they are unlikely to help restart stalled denuclearisation talks between North Korea and the US. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un continues to spurn engagement with US President Donald Trump, while Washington appears to have shifted its focus away from curbing Pyongyang’s expanding nuclear... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335789/why-south-koreas-concessions-are-failing-revive-trump-kim-nuclear-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335789/why-south-koreas-concessions-are-failing-revive-trump-kim-nuclear-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 02:30:07 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi China’s omission of the term “denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula” from a new policy paper suggests its “tacit acceptance” of North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, as Beijing gives priority to its strategic rivalry with Washington, according to analysts. Late last month, China released a white paper on arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, outlining its national defence and nuclear policies. The document was an update of a 2005 white paper and contained a notable shift – within... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335406/china-shifting-its-policy-and-accepting-north-korea-nuclear-armed-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335406/china-shifting-its-policy-and-accepting-north-korea-nuclear-armed-state?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 04:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced the country’s air force would be equipped with “new strategic military assets”, state media said on Sunday. Kim made the announcement at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the North Korean air force on Friday, accompanied by his daughter Ju-ae, who is understood to be his recognised successor. The country’s expectations for the air force, which “will play a role in the exercise of the nuclear war deterrent”, are truly “great”, state media KCNA... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3334651/north-korean-air-force-gain-strategic-assets-amid-heightened-tensions-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3334651/north-korean-air-force-gain-strategic-assets-amid-heightened-tensions-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 02:20:54 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong New satellite imagery suggests North Korea has spent the past year steadily enlarging and modernising its main fissile material site, in what analysts call a concrete response to leader Kim Jong-un’s demand for his nuclear arsenal’s “exponential growth”. Commercial satellite images of the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Centre from October and November show renovation and large-scale expansion across the complex, according to 38North, a website from US think tank the Stimson Centre devoted... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333943/north-koreas-nuclear-upgrades-seen-space-south-readies-monster-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333943/north-koreas-nuclear-upgrades-seen-space-south-readies-monster-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Reuters North and South Korea are in a “very dangerous situation” where an accidental clash is possible any time and it is crucial for Seoul to engage Pyongyang in dialogue, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on Monday. Lee, who has taken several steps to ease tensions since taking office in June, has offered discussions with the North without preconditions, in contrast to his hawkish conservative predecessor. Pyongyang has yet to respond to Lee’s overtures. “Inter-Korean relations have,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3333988/south-koreas-lee-jae-myung-warns-dangerous-situation-north-after-g20-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3333988/south-koreas-lee-jae-myung-warns-dangerous-situation-north-after-g20-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 13:31:24 +0000 Gabriela Bernal Gabriela Bernal South Korea, under President Lee Jae-myung, has repeatedly proclaimed its desire to improve relations and re-engage in diplomacy with North Korea. Yet a landmark agreement with Washington formalised last week reveals a starkly different priority: advancing military capabilities that will almost certainly drive the two Koreas further apart. The United States has officially approved South Korea’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines while supporting Seoul’s efforts to secure uranium enrichment... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3333442/how-south-koreas-nuclear-sub-deal-us-could-torpedo-inter-korean-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3333442/how-south-koreas-nuclear-sub-deal-us-could-torpedo-inter-korean-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea is expected to remain largely impervious to Western diplomatic overtures for the foreseeable future as it rails against its rivals’ “hostile” policies. On Tuesday, North Korean state media denounced last month’s summit between US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung as proof of the “confrontational will” of its adversaries to “remain hostile … to the end”. The North was taken aback by the outcomes of the Trump-Lee summit, according to Professor Cho Han-bum... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333349/trump-took-pyongyang-surprise-nuclear-subs-south-korea-sinking-talk-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333349/trump-took-pyongyang-surprise-nuclear-subs-south-korea-sinking-talk-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 04:27:47 +0000 Sukjoon Yoon Sukjoon Yoon For US President Donald Trump to consent to South Korea building its own nuclear-powered submarines was unexpected – though a welcome decision for the many South Korean analysts who have long argued such vessels were urgently needed by the country’s navy. It will have a huge impact on the US alliance with South Korea and its neighbours, not least North Korea, which is apparently building its first nuclear ballistic missile submarine with Russian technical support: not just any nuclear-powered... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332056/devil-details-us-agrees-south-korean-nuclear-powered-sub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332056/devil-details-us-agrees-south-korean-nuclear-powered-sub?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow The United States has given South Korea the green light to build nuclear-powered submarines – a landmark decision that could significantly boost Seoul’s naval capabilities and place it among a select group of nations with such assets. Analysts say the move could reshape Northeast Asia’s strategic landscape in ways that not only strengthen deterrence but also reduce the risk of open conflict, as Washington recalibrates its alliance priorities under President Donald Trump. Trump announced the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331790/how-us-nod-south-koreas-joining-nuclear-sub-club-could-reshape-strategic-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331790/how-us-nod-south-koreas-joining-nuclear-sub-club-could-reshape-strategic-landscape?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:30:14 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea’s intelligence agency has reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter is consolidating her position as a potential heir, but analysts urge caution over the latest news as they point to Pyongyang’s silence on the 12-year-old’s name. They also voiced scepticism over the National Intelligence Service’s (NIS) assessment that Kim could hold a fourth summit with US President Donald Trump around March next year. Observers say there is little sign the regime has begun laying the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3331709/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-preparing-daughter-take-power-not-so-fast-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3331709/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-preparing-daughter-take-power-not-so-fast-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 03:15:44 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that the United States will fully support Korea’s plan to develop nuclear-powered submarines, reaffirming US President Donald Trump’s prior approval of the initiative. “President Trump has approved this historic step, and I want to reaffirm that decision. As defence authorities, we will, of course, do our best to actively and fully support it,” Hegseth said during a joint press conference with South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back after... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3331520/hegseth-confirms-trump-support-south-koreas-nuclear-submarine-programme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3331520/hegseth-confirms-trump-support-south-koreas-nuclear-submarine-programme?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 12:14:47 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea pre-emptively slammed any discussion of its denuclearisation as a “pipe dream” just hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled to meet South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea. Analysts suggest Pyongyang’s blunt intervention was aimed at deterring both Seoul and Beijing from prioritising the explosive topic. This intervention was also seen as a show of “displeasure” that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331145/north-korean-denuclearisation-pipe-dream-pyongyang-warns-ahead-seoul-beijing-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331145/north-korean-denuclearisation-pipe-dream-pyongyang-warns-ahead-seoul-beijing-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 02:17:45 +0000