https://www.scmp.com/rss/325001/feed On August 6, 2017, the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on North Korea that could see the reclusive state's US$3 billion annual export revenue drop by a third. The sanctions, which banned North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood, were aimed at punishing Pyongyang over its two intercontinential ballistic missile tests. Countries were also prohibited from hiring additional North Korean labourers. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A notorious North Korean hacking group is likely behind the theft of nearly US$300 million in cryptocurrency over the weekend, an affected party has said, in the biggest known crypto heist this year. It is the latest such incident linked to North Korea, whose sophisticated cybercrime programme uses stolen cryptocurrency to help fund its nuclear weapons development, according to a United Nations panel. Digital currency news site CoinDesk said the heist on the vault of online investment tool... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350964/north-koreas-lazarus-suspected-stealing-us290-million-kelpdao-cyberattack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350964/north-koreas-lazarus-suspected-stealing-us290-million-kelpdao-cyberattack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:12:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korea fired several ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, following a separate launch detected a day earlier as Pyongyang doused Seoul’s hopes of an easing in tensions. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the unidentified short-range missiles were launched at around 8.50am from near Wonsan on the North’s east coast. The missiles flew 240km (150 miles), the JCS ‌said, adding that South Korean and US authorities were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349336/north-korea-launches-fifth-missile-test-after-dousing-souths-reconciliation-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349336/north-korea-launches-fifth-missile-test-after-dousing-souths-reconciliation-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:46:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korea appears to be distancing itself from long-time partner Iran and carefully managing its public messaging to preserve the possibility of a new relationship with the US after the Iran war, South Korean lawmakers have said, citing the spy agency. Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said North ‌Korea had not sent weapons or supplies so far to Iran since the conflict started on February 28, and did not issue public condolences upon the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349136/north-korean-silence-iran-signals-openness-us-talks-seouls-spy-agency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349136/north-korean-silence-iran-signals-openness-us-talks-seouls-spy-agency?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 06:32:16 +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 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk North Korea had abruptly cancelled the 2026 Pyongyang International Marathon less than a month before the race, its international partner said on Monday, raising fresh questions about the country’s cautious approach to reopening to foreign visitors. Beijing-based Koryo Tours, which specialises in tours to the country, said it had received notice of the cancellation from the North Korean race organiser. “This decision was communicated to us by the DPR Korea Athletics Association and has been... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346000/north-korea-cancels-pyongyang-marathon-weeks-race-no-reason-given?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346000/north-korea-cancels-pyongyang-marathon-weeks-race-no-reason-given?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:18:07 +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 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 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall North Korea’s claim that Japan has crossed a diplomatic “red line” by deepening its security partnerships is less about Tokyo’s defence policies than Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s decisive election victory, analysts say, as a weaker mandate may have pushed her towards negotiations with Pyongyang. With a commanding majority secured in Sunday’s poll, Takaichi now faces fewer domestic constraints as she signals plans to expand defence cooperation with Western partners and potentially push ahead... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343322/why-takaichis-japan-election-victory-has-sparked-north-koreas-childish-fury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343322/why-takaichis-japan-election-victory-has-sparked-north-koreas-childish-fury?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:12 +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 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s public dismissal of a vice-minister during an inspection tour of a major industrial zone reflects growing anxiety within the leadership as Pyongyang prepares for a pivotal ruling party congress amid persistent economic strain, according to analysts. By firing the official on the spot, Kim appears to be signalling zero tolerance for delays and mismanagement while reinforcing his authority ahead of the 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea to be held early... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340630/north-korean-blame-game-whats-behind-kim-jong-uns-public-sacking-vice-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340630/north-korean-blame-game-whats-behind-kim-jong-uns-public-sacking-vice-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 03:26:53 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A lone body discovered on a cold Japanese beach and a shattered wooden boat coated in black tar have stirred memories of the “ghost ships” that in past winters drifted across to Japan from North Korea. The body washed ashore on Wednesday in Ishikawa prefecture, while a Japan Coast Guard vessel later recovered the capsized boat nearby, local media reported. Authorities have yet to identify the man and are investigating whether he was linked to the vessel, which bore Korean characters and numbers.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3339354/body-capsized-boat-found-japan-waters-raise-spectre-north-korean-ghost-ships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3339354/body-capsized-boat-found-japan-waters-raise-spectre-north-korean-ghost-ships?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 01:30:19 +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 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 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 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 Peiman Salehi Peiman Salehi For much of the modern era, power was easy to recognise. It belonged to the states that could win wars decisively, enforce sanctions effectively and impose political outcomes far beyond their borders. That definition no longer works. The world is moving towards what scholars have described as a form of “distributed multipolarity”, a landscape in which no single actor – not the United States, not China, not Russia – can fully shape events in the way great powers once expected. Tools once seen as... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335006/welcome-world-where-wars-dont-end-and-sanctions-dont-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335006/welcome-world-where-wars-dont-end-and-sanctions-dont-work?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea has denounced new US sanctions targeting its cybercrime networks, accusing Washington of harbouring “wicked” hostility, but analysts have said Pyongyang’s unusually restrained response suggests it is leaving the door open to future dialogue. “Now that the present US administration has clarified its stand to be hostile towards the DPRK to the last, we will also take proper measures to counter it with patience for any length of time,” read a statement by North Korean Vice-Foreign... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331815/north-korea-slams-us-wicked-hostility-over-sanctions-linked-cybercrime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331815/north-korea-slams-us-wicked-hostility-over-sanctions-linked-cybercrime?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 01:30:11 +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 Reuters Reuters The US Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioned eight individuals and two entities who it said were involved in a variety of North Korean cyber-related money-laundering schemes. The Treasury said the move was aimed at cutting off funding for North Korea’s weapons programmes. “By generating revenue for Pyongyang’s weapons development, these actors directly threaten US and global security,” John Hurley, Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3331540/us-imposes-north-korea-related-sanctions-individuals-entities-money-laundering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3331540/us-imposes-north-korea-related-sanctions-individuals-entities-money-laundering?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 18:12:37 +0000 Reuters Reuters The United States will in the coming days ask a UN Security Council committee to impose sanctions on seven ships suspected of violating UN sanctions on North Korea, a State Department official said on Monday. The seven vessels have illegally exported North Korean coal and iron ore to China, which traditionally earns Pyongyang between US$200 million and US$400 million a year, said the US official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “These nominations are not just bureaucratic exercises. They’re... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3331395/us-calls-un-sanctions-7-vessels-over-north-korea-exports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3331395/us-calls-un-sanctions-7-vessels-over-north-korea-exports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 19:48:12 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong US President Donald Trump’s declaration on Thursday that he would allow South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines has been met with both caution and scepticism. Analysts said the announcement, while politically dramatic, left unresolved questions about feasibility, cost and the potential for nuclear proliferation. “I have given them approval to build a Nuclear Powered Submarine, rather than the old fashioned, and far less nimble, diesel powered Submarines that they have now,” Trump wrote... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330853/doubts-surface-over-trumps-south-korea-nuclear-submarine-plan-whats-catch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330853/doubts-surface-over-trumps-south-korea-nuclear-submarine-plan-whats-catch?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 05:10:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea is circumventing UN sanctions by using cryptocurrency to trade raw materials and military weaponry, and by deploying large numbers of IT workers abroad to launder funds and generate income for Pyongyang, an international sanctions monitoring group has reported. Under leader Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang has ramped up cyber operations in recent years, turning hacking into a key source of foreign currency in the face of biting sanctions over its nuclear and weapons programmes. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3330294/north-korea-evades-un-sanctions-using-crypto-weapons-raw-materials-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3330294/north-korea-evades-un-sanctions-using-crypto-weapons-raw-materials-report?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 03:07:29 +0000 Gabriela Bernal Gabriela Bernal Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s coming visit to South Korea, speculation is mounting about a possible meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. CNN reported that Trump administration officials have privately discussed arranging such an encounter. Meanwhile, the suspension of trips to Panmunjom next week has only fuelled rumours that a repeat of the dramatic 2019 summit is imminent. Back then, Trump tweeted an invitation to Kim within 48 hours before they met at the truce village. Yet... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3329968/if-us-wants-peace-korea-no-talks-are-better-rushed-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3329968/if-us-wants-peace-korea-no-talks-are-better-rushed-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:30:09 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea has rolled out what it calls “the most powerful nuclear strategic weapon”, showcasing its new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), according to Pyongyang’s state media on Saturday. At a massive military parade featuring the new solid-fuel missile and other weapons, leader Kim Jong-un declared that sovereignty could be secured only through military might. “Our army should continue to grow into an invincible entity that destroys all threats … by dint of its political,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328614/north-korea-unveils-most-powerful-nuclear-strategic-weapon-capable-reaching-all-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328614/north-korea-unveils-most-powerful-nuclear-strategic-weapon-capable-reaching-all-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:28:00 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Vietnam’s top leader begins his three-day visit to North Korea on Thursday for a trip that reflects Hanoi’s desire to balance regional relations amid ongoing tensions, analysts say. Communist Party chief To Lam’s visit – the first by a Vietnamese leader to the reclusive country in almost two decades – will coincide with a military parade in Pyongyang on Friday to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party, according to the Vietnamese government and North Korean state media... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328310/vietnams-leader-heads-north-korea-first-visit-18-years-rebalance-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3328310/vietnams-leader-heads-north-korea-first-visit-18-years-rebalance-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 03:36:54 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang The ruling party of North Korea is approaching its 80th official anniversary amid an unprecedented rise in the country’s international stature. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s presence alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at China’s Victory Day parade early last month was more than ceremonial; it was a strategic declaration. Kim carried himself with the assurance of a man who has successfully recalibrated his nation’s place in the world. This confidence,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328231/can-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-forge-legacy-goes-beyond-bomb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328231/can-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-forge-legacy-goes-beyond-bomb?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Gabriela Bernal Gabriela Bernal For decades, discussions about North Korea’s military threat have centred almost exclusively on its nuclear weapons programme. This view, however, is increasingly inadequate for understanding the evolving security challenge that Pyongyang poses to Northeast Asia and beyond. Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signalled a fundamental shift in military strategy. Moving beyond his regime’s traditional emphasis on nuclear deterrence, Kim said the country would significantly upgrade its... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327237/world-cannot-ignore-threat-modernised-north-korean-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327237/world-cannot-ignore-threat-modernised-north-korean-military?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The US has sentenced a Chinese national to eight years in prison for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition, and other military items to North Korea via Hong Kong in return for US$2 million in payments from Pyongyang “for his efforts”, the Justice Department said on Tuesday. Taking advantage of lax US gun laws, Shenghua Wen, 42, purchased many of the weapons in Texas and drove them to California, where they were shipped out of the Port of Long Beach, according to court documents. At least one... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3322431/us-sentences-chinese-national-eight-years-smuggling-arms-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3322431/us-sentences-chinese-national-eight-years-smuggling-arms-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 21:24:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press South Korea and the United States began their annual large-scale joint military exercise on Monday to better cope with threats from nuclear-armed North Korea, which has warned the drills would deepen regional tensions and vowed to respond to “any provocation” against its territory. The 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield – the second of two large-scale exercises held annually in South Korea, after another set in March – will involve 21,000 soldiers, including 18,000 South Koreans, in computer-simulated... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3322181/south-korea-us-kick-ulchi-freedom-shield-drills-21000-troops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3322181/south-korea-us-kick-ulchi-freedom-shield-drills-21000-troops?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 04:00:26 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji It began, as so many epochal crimes do, with a single breach. But by the time the dust had settled on the Bybit hack, nearly US$1.5 billion in digital assets had vanished, exposing not just the vulnerabilities of Asia’s fledgling crypto markets but the growing reach of North Korea’s cyber operatives. The hack on February 21 represented a quantum leap in the scale and sophistication of cyber operations emanating from North Korea, according to a report released last month by American blockchain... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3321262/how-north-koreas-us15-billion-hack-exposed-asias-crypto-weaknesses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3321262/how-north-koreas-us15-billion-hack-exposed-asias-crypto-weaknesses?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Aug 2025 00:00:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The US has slapped sanctions on individuals and companies linked to a scheme that involves recruiting North Koreans to pose as American tech workers and help fund Kim Jong-un’s regime. The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed penalties on a “malicious cyber actor” named Song Kum-hyok, who is accused of having ties with a hacking group linked to Pyongyang, as well as another individual and four companies based in Russia and North Korea. Song allegedly facilitated an... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3317461/us-targets-north-korean-fake-it-worker-scheme-china-and-russia-links?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3317461/us-targets-north-korean-fake-it-worker-scheme-china-and-russia-links?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 21:54:34 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow China and North Korea often hail their friendships with each other and with Russia as being “forged in blood”. But while these statements help generate fraternal sentiments, such ties often fall prey to domestic politics, geopolitics and evolving national interests. This week, North Korea’s state media showed its leader Kim Jong-un draping coffins with the national flag in what appeared to be the repatriation of soldiers killed fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine. In a series of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3316764/north-korea-china-and-russias-blood-forged-ties-real-or-rhetoric?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3316764/north-korea-china-and-russias-blood-forged-ties-real-or-rhetoric?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 02:30:09 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The US Justice Department announced one arrest and charges against nine more people in connection with an alleged scheme in which North Koreans posed as American tech workers to gain lucrative jobs and fund the country’s government. The North Koreans used stolen identities to gain employment with multiple American companies, according to the indictments. They were allegedly helped by people in the US, China, United Arab Emirates and Taiwan, who created fake companies and fraudulent websites to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3316440/us-charges-north-koreans-posing-american-tech-workers-plot-defraud-over-100-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3316440/us-charges-north-koreans-posing-american-tech-workers-plot-defraud-over-100-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2025 18:56:04 +0000 Sungju Park-Kang Sungju Park-Kang South Korea is heading to a presidential election on June 3, triggered by the impeachment of Yoon Suk-yeol after his bungled attempt at martial law. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, is a clear front-runner. With the formation of a Lee administration in South Korea looking likely, the United States would have a rare opportunity to explore North Korea’s denuclearisation. US President Donald Trump has boasted of his close connection to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3311866/why-south-koreas-next-leader-should-revive-6-party-nuclear-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3311866/why-south-koreas-next-leader-should-revive-6-party-nuclear-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Eunju Kim, who escaped starvation in North Korea in 1999, only to be sent back and flee a second time, has told the United Nations that the country’s leader must be held accountable for gross human rights violations. Gyuri Kang, whose family faced persecution for her grandmother’s religious beliefs, fled the North during the Covid-19 pandemic. She told the General Assembly on Tuesday that three of her friends were executed – two for watching South Korean TV dramas. At the high-level meeting of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3311145/my-friends-were-executed-north-korean-defectors-tell-un-regimes-brutal-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3311145/my-friends-were-executed-north-korean-defectors-tell-un-regimes-brutal-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 01:18:54 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen The US should adopt a pragmatic approach towards North Korea, taking a “slow and paced” tack on denuclearisation and engaging regional stakeholders such as China, according to a US think tank. The proposal by researchers at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft coincides with reports that the administration of US President Donald Trump is consulting experts on reviving talks with Pyongyang. During his first term, Trump held a series of historic talks with North Korean leader Kim... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309294/trump-urged-take-slow-and-steady-approach-north-korea-end-nuclear-stalemate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3309294/trump-urged-take-slow-and-steady-approach-north-korea-end-nuclear-stalemate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 May 2025 22:00:16 +0000 When American Cameron Mofid stepped out of the airport in Pyongyang he became one of the first tourists to visit North Korea in more than five years – and completed his mission to visit every country in the world. Mofid was one of about 200 foreigners who travelled to the secretive state’s capital this month for the Pyongyang International Marathon, which took place on April 6 and had not been held since 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic. North Korea reopened to Russian tourists in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3306550/americans-craziest-experience-north-korea-marathon-completes-record-task?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3306550/americans-craziest-experience-north-korea-marathon-completes-record-task?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Apr 2025 05:42:52 +0000 Late last month, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea issued an appeal to the international community, expressing concern about the future of civil society work on North Korean human rights. The cause for alarm is the sudden freeze on the funds of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) – a US non-governmental organisation. One major beneficiary of funds from the NED are groups documenting and helping to stop human-rights abuses in North Korea. The funding halt... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3301544/why-us-aid-cuts-are-win-north-koreas-kim-jong-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3301544/why-us-aid-cuts-are-win-north-koreas-kim-jong-un?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Mar 2025 02:30:08 +0000 Russia won’t be the only state delighted by the disastrous meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. North Korea – given its status as a direct party to the conflict in Ukraine – is likely very pleased with the colossal collapse of talks between Washington and Kyiv. Dismissing Zelensky as being “not ready for peace”, the US president may now choose to double down on negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin instead to try to end the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3300242/why-trump-putin-ukraine-peace-deal-could-be-good-news-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3300242/why-trump-putin-ukraine-peace-deal-could-be-good-news-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Mar 2025 21:30:08 +0000 US President Donald Trump is playing a critical role in ending the war in Ukraine through a carrot-and-stick strategy, pressuring both Russia and Ukraine while pushing European allies to take on greater responsibility for their defence. A similar approach to Pyongyang seems likely. Trump is in favour of dialogue with North Korea but coercive leverage may be his most effective option. He may threaten to expand the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system in South... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3300094/counter-trump-threat-china-can-help-north-korea-denuclearise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3300094/counter-trump-threat-china-can-help-north-korea-denuclearise?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Feb 2025 21:30:07 +0000 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a rare visit to his ancestors’ mausoleum on Sunday, marking the first time in four years he has paid tribute to the tomb on his father’s birthday. Analysts suggest the gesture may have been an attempt to reinforce his regime’s legitimacy amid growing international calls for it to denuclearise. On Sunday, Kim, accompanied by top military officials and his influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to honour their late father Kim... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3299035/north-koreas-kim-reclaims-ancestors-legacy-rare-mausoleum-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3299035/north-koreas-kim-reclaims-ancestors-legacy-rare-mausoleum-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 00:00:14 +0000 With Donald Trump assuming office for a second term, the Korean peninsula once again finds itself at the crossroads of diplomacy and confrontation. Marred by growing uncertainties and tensions, recent US-North Korea relations can be best defined as at a cul-de-sac. The Biden administration’s strategy of pressuring Pyongyang into negotiations has failed. If the significant breakthroughs and agonising stalemates reached in Trump’s first term were to serve as an indication, a move away from Biden’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3297363/trumps-us-must-go-beyond-grand-bargain-engage-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3297363/trumps-us-must-go-beyond-grand-bargain-engage-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2025 21:30:07 +0000 On January 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty in Moscow. Touted as a milestone in bilateral relations, it deepens ties between two nations grappling with international sanctions. Just months earlier, Russia and North Korea ratified their own treaty with a strong emphasis on mutual defence. These treaties reflect Moscow’s efforts to recalibrate its alliances amid global isolation. However, their... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3297267/russias-close-ties-north-korea-and-iran-represent-diverging-goals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3297267/russias-close-ties-north-korea-and-iran-represent-diverging-goals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Feb 2025 21:30:09 +0000