https://www.scmp.com/rss/33318/feed 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'... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Reuters The first North Korean sports team to visit the South in eight years said they were ready to take on the world after winning the AFC Women’s Champions League. Naegohyang Women’s FC beat Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 in the final in the South Korean city of Suwon on Saturday, thanks to captain Kim Kyong-yong’s goal just before half-time. Naegohyang’s win means they will appear at next year’s Fifa Women’s Champions Cup, which features the champions of each of the six continental confederations,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3354677/coach-north-korean-womens-side-thanks-kim-jong-uns-warm-love-after-asian-title-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3354677/coach-north-korean-womens-side-thanks-kim-jong-uns-warm-love-after-asian-title-win?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 14:00:09 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao China and Russia released a joint statement on Thursday in the wake of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin a day earlier, during which the two leaders signed an agreement to boost strategic ties and a separate declaration to push for a multipolar global order and witnessed the sealing of more than 20 agreements on cooperation in areas including energy, trade and science and technology. China-Russia Joint Statement by scmp https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354349/china-russia-joint-statement-xi-putin-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354349/china-russia-joint-statement-xi-putin-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 07:43:49 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Chinese leader Xi Jinping could visit North Korea as early as next week, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday. The trip would follow Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Pyongyang last month, as long-standing ties between the two sides grow warmer. “We have obtained intelligence indicating that President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea soon,” the Yonhap report said, citing a government source. Another government official told Yonhap that Xi might visit North Korea later this... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354299/chinas-xi-jinping-expected-visit-north-korea-early-next-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354299/chinas-xi-jinping-expected-visit-north-korea-early-next-week?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 02:15:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea’s first sports team to visit the South in eight years reached the Asian Women’s Champions League final on Wednesday as Naegohyang Women’s FC beat Suwon FC Women 2-1. Naegohyang came from behind to defeat their rivals from the south amid torrential rain in Suwon, in a hard-fought semi-final played in a fair spirit without any major flashpoints. Suwon captain Ji So-yun missed a penalty with just over 10 minutes to play. The North Koreans will stay in South Korea for Saturday’s final,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3354269/north-korean-women-win-rare-match-south-reach-asian-champions-league-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3354269/north-korean-women-win-rare-match-south-reach-asian-champions-league-final?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 12:50:37 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang When Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday evening for a two-day state visit, he once again returned to his “second home” at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, a royal garden that has hosted dignitaries including Richard Nixon, Boris Yeltsin and Kim Jong-un. Diaoyutai is a familiar setting for Putin, who has visited China more than 20 times and personally met President Xi Jinping on more than 40 occasions since 2013, according to state news agency Xinhua. He usually resides... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354201/what-political-weight-diaoyutai-guesthouse-where-putin-staying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354201/what-political-weight-diaoyutai-guesthouse-where-putin-staying?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 07:00:51 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held their fourth meeting in about six months on Tuesday, underscoring the need for greater cooperation between the historical Asian rivals amid global challenges, including the Iran war. Lee hosted Takaichi in his hometown of Andong, a southeastern South Korean city famous for its centuries-old traditional folk village, a Unesco World Heritage site. In January, the two met in Takaichi’s hometown of Nara, an ancient... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354117/south-koreas-lee-hails-deep-friendship-he-hosts-japans-takaichi-hometown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3354117/south-koreas-lee-hails-deep-friendship-he-hosts-japans-takaichi-hometown?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 10:54:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called on top military officials to bolster front-line units and turn the southern border into an “impregnable fortress”, state media reported on Monday. Kim gave the instruction at a meeting on Sunday where a photo released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed him presiding over commanding military officers wearing full-dress uniform. The North Korean leader told the military officials that a “great change” would be made in an effort to deter war and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353919/north-korea-turn-southern-border-impregnable-fortress-against-arch-enemy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353919/north-korea-turn-southern-border-impregnable-fortress-against-arch-enemy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 03:37:50 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korean women’s football club Naegohyang FC arrived in South Korea on Sunday for an Asian Women’s Champions League semi-final, marking the first visit by athletes from ‌the isolated state to the South in eight years. The delegation of 27 players and 12 staff entered the country ahead of Wednesday’s match against South Korea’s Suwon FC Women in Suwon. The visit has been approved under the inter-Korean exchange law and covers their stay through next weekend, though the team could leave... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353876/north-korean-footballers-arrive-south-match-tickets-sell-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353876/north-korean-footballers-arrive-south-match-tickets-sell-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 08:55:27 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Vietnam’s To Lam is a man in a hurry. Since claiming the nation’s top job, its most powerful leader in decades has been in near-constant motion, pressing flesh and signing deals in Beijing, Washington, Pyongyang and Moscow. His itinerary, which also included stops in New Delhi, Helsinki, Paris, London and several Southeast Asian capitals, reads less like a diplomatic calendar than a world tour – and analysts say that is precisely the point. “Where previous leaders practised a restrained,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353683/beyond-bamboo-vietnams-lam-mounts-diplomacy-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353683/beyond-bamboo-vietnams-lam-mounts-diplomacy-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Tickets in South Korea for a rare match against a visiting North Korean team sold out within half a day, Seoul’s football association said on Friday. All 7,087 general admission tickets for the game on May 20 between home side Suwon FC Women and Naegohyang Women’s FC were snapped up within about 12 hours of going on sale on Tuesday, an official from the Korea Football Association said. The two sides meet in the semi-finals of the Women’s Asian Champions League in the city of Suwon, about 20... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3353667/tickets-rare-north-v-south-football-clash-korea-sell-out-12-hours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3353667/tickets-rare-north-v-south-football-clash-korea-sell-out-12-hours?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 07:00:05 +0000 Lee Min-Yong Lee Min-Yong The US strikes on Iran sent a clear signal to Pyongyang. But rather than retreat or show renewed interest in denuclearisation, North Korea has doubled down on deterrence. In recent weeks, Pyongyang has tightened security around its leadership and continued its missile launches, underscoring its sensitivity to Washington’s military posture. From Pyongyang’s perspective, these moves are meant not only to gauge how far US military pressure could one day extend, but also to signal that North Korea’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353183/why-stability-must-come-denuclearisation-korean-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353183/why-stability-must-come-denuclearisation-korean-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 21:30:04 +0000 SCMP SCMP Cooperative symbolism behind tea with the Trumps in the Forbidden City This article was first published on November 10, 2017 by Laura Zhou Beijing’s Forbidden City was more than just an opulent backdrop for US President Donald Trump’s first day in China. One of the main halls used to stage a set piece on Trump’s tour of the former imperial palace was weighted with meaning and chosen to underscore cooperation between the two countries. As part of their higher-than-usual welcome to the capital,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353280/tea-forbidden-city-how-scmp-covered-2017-xi-trump-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353280/tea-forbidden-city-how-scmp-covered-2017-xi-trump-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 17:00:09 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pushing through legislation to establish the country’s first centralised intelligence agency since the second world war, driven by concerns that its existing set-up is too fragmented to keep pace with espionage, cyberthreats and “grey zone” operations. The plan, recently endorsed by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, would transform the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO) into a central hub, drawing in analysts, technologists and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353154/japans-new-spy-agency-receives-fbi-backing-eyes-china-and-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353154/japans-new-spy-agency-receives-fbi-backing-eyes-china-and-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg South Korea’s military is exploring a strategic partnership with Hyundai Motor to potentially deploy robotics to the front lines as Seoul accelerates investment in AI-powered, unmanned systems to tackle a deepening troop shortage. The defence ministry said it was discussing cooperation with Hyundai as part of efforts to respond to changes in the battlefield environment and develop a “hi-tech, science-driven force”, though specific details have yet to be finalised. The Korea Economic Daily first... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353109/robots-rescue-south-korea-looks-ai-solutions-dwindling-army-numbers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3353109/robots-rescue-south-korea-looks-ai-solutions-dwindling-army-numbers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 06:03:35 +0000 Jane Cai Jane Cai Nine years after his lavish first visit to China as US president, Donald Trump is scheduled to head back to Beijing on May 13-15. With tensions over tariffs, Taiwan and tech rivalry still simmering, the summit will test whether the world’s two biggest powers can stabilise their fractious relationship. What to expect Pragmatic deals over grand resets Don’t look for a historic breakthrough. The focus is expected to be on extending the trade truce, locking in fresh Chinese purchases of American... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353055/trumps-china-return-whats-changed-his-friendly-2017-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353055/trumps-china-return-whats-changed-his-friendly-2017-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea said on Friday it would deploy new long-range artillery systems this year that were capable of striking South Korea’s capital region and would commission its first naval destroyer in coming weeks. The announcement comes days after South Korea said the North’s newly revised constitution drops all references to Korean unification, in line with leader Kim Jong-un’s vows to terminate ties with South Korea and establish a two-state system on the Korean peninsula. Kim visited a munitions... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352837/north-korea-move-artillery-capable-striking-seoul-border-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352837/north-korea-move-artillery-capable-striking-seoul-border-south?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 03:19:40 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea’s UN envoy said his country was not bound by the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) on nuclear weapons and external pressure would not change its status as a nuclear-armed state, official media reported on Thursday. Pyongyang threatened to withdraw from the treaty in 1993 and formally did so in 2003. It has since conducted six nuclear tests – prompting a raft of international sanctions – and is believed to possess dozens of nuclear warheads. Signatories of the NPT have been holding a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352681/north-korea-says-nuclear-status-will-not-change-despite-external-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352681/north-korea-says-nuclear-status-will-not-change-despite-external-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 01:23:18 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea has removed references to “national reunification” from its constitution and newly defined its territory as land bordering South Korea, a move analysts say may signal Pyongyang’s intent to avoid direct conflict with Seoul. The constitutional overhaul is widely seen as aligning with the North’s evolving stance towards Seoul – shifting away from reunification and towards a more formalised state-to-state relationship. Pyongyang took more than two years to revise the constitution after... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352662/north-koreas-constitutional-shift-move-towards-peaceful-co-existence-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352662/north-koreas-constitutional-shift-move-towards-peaceful-co-existence-south?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea welcomed foreign visitors and firms to a trade fair this week, showcasing home-grown products including the latest model of its sleek Jindallae smartphone. Diplomatically isolated and under biting sanctions over its nuclear and weapons programmes, North Korea has an ageing manufacturing base which analysts doubt has the ability to make high-quality consumer technology. Still, Pyongyang has touted Jindallae – “azalea” in Korean – as a convenient way for citizens to stay connected,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352553/north-koreas-new-own-brand-phone-sleek-colourful-and-possibly-watching-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352553/north-koreas-new-own-brand-phone-sleek-colourful-and-possibly-watching-you?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 02:18:21 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and successive US presidents have spent the better part of the past three decades warning that a nuclear-armed Iran would threaten the whole world. Now, thanks to the illegal US-Israeli war, Iran may have to go nuclear by claiming self-defence. After all, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Israel would justify its clandestine nuclear weapon programme, which dates back to the 1950s, by claiming Arab states wanted to exterminate it. Well,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352328/thanks-trump-and-netanyahu-everyone-now-wants-go-nuclear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352328/thanks-trump-and-netanyahu-everyone-now-wants-go-nuclear?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi South Korea’s first home-grown combat aircraft, the KF-21, still has a “long way to go” competing globally against products from the US, Europe and China, analysts say, as the fighter jet is finally rolled out. In March, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) officially unveiled the first production unit of the KF-21 Boramae, making South Korea the eighth country to join an elite group capable of indigenously developing advanced supersonic combat aircraft. The roll-out marked the start of mass... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352500/can-south-koreas-most-advanced-fighter-kf-21-compete-china-us-and-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352500/can-south-koreas-most-advanced-fighter-kf-21-compete-china-us-and-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 10:00:23 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean athletes are set to step onto South Korean soil for the first time in eight years, raising hopes that sports could again help ease bilateral tensions even as Pyongyang continues to define Seoul as a hostile state. Naegohyang Women’s FC of North Korea have confirmed their participation in the 2025–2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League (AWCL). “We have been informed by the AFC that Naegohyang Women’s FC have expressed their intention to participate in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352375/why-north-korean-women-footballers-rare-match-south-keenly-watched?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352375/why-north-korean-women-footballers-rare-match-south-keenly-watched?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 10:14:32 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi China may be feeling uneasy about talk of a rare five-year defence cooperation plan between North Korea and Russia that could accelerate Pyongyang’s military modernisation on multiple fronts, analysts said. According to the Russian state news agency Tass, Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov held talks to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on April 26, with Belousov describing relations between the countries as at an “unprecedentedly high level”. Belousov also said preparations... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352265/why-5-year-defence-pact-between-north-korea-and-russia-could-make-china-uneasy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352265/why-5-year-defence-pact-between-north-korea-and-russia-could-make-china-uneasy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo For those who have never visited the Yasukuni Shrine, it is located in central Tokyo and within walking distance of the Imperial Palace. It is easily accessible by subway, bus and taxi. It is beautiful, tranquil and dignified. Admission was free when I first visited it some 20 years ago. The Shinto shrine was established by Emperor Meiji to commemorate those who died in the service of Japan. In the late 1970s, the names of more than a dozen Class A war criminals (to the rest of the world) or... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3352279/why-resurgent-japan-should-absolutely-scare-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3352279/why-resurgent-japan-should-absolutely-scare-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 13:00:13 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan and South Korea are closing ranks as they prepare for high-level meetings aimed at steadying ties amid growing regional volatility, with analysts saying the diplomatic push reflects shared concern over China, North Korea and the reliability of US commitments under President Donald Trump. Both countries appear willing to put past differences aside, at least for now, as they confront an assertive China and an unpredictable US administration that has unsettled long-standing allies and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352211/how-trump-inadvertently-bringing-japan-south-korea-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352211/how-trump-inadvertently-bringing-japan-south-korea-together?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 07:55:15 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times As a rift widens among Republicans over US-Israeli air strikes on Iran, a top Korean-American leader said Seoul must recognise that President Donald Trump is heavily influenced by a faction he calls “new neocons”. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson broke sharply with the president in a Wall Street Journal interview on Saturday, calling him a “slave” to hawkish interventionists willing to deploy military force. Kim Dong-seok, the 68-year-old head of the Korean American Grassroots Conference,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351984/could-reckless-trumps-destroy-and-deal-tactics-target-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351984/could-reckless-trumps-destroy-and-deal-tactics-target-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:41:21 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The economic divide between the United States and China is projected to widen to US$11 trillion by the end of the decade, yet escalating geopolitics – specifically the war in Iran and the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis – could inadvertently act as a stabilising force for bilateral ties, according to a prominent global strategist. Kishore Mahbubani, former president of the UN Security Council and once a top diplomat from Singapore, has forecast that the gross-domestic-product disparity between... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351732/us-economic-gap-over-china-widen-iran-might-bring-them-closer-former-un-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351732/us-economic-gap-over-china-widen-iran-might-bring-them-closer-former-un-official?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 01:00:18 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for more confident diplomacy based on “mutual respect”, in remarks seen by observers as a veiled response to mounting US pressure over issues including intelligence-sharing, defence autonomy and the regulation of American companies. “As a sovereign nation, we will focus on diplomacy that builds genuine friendships with our allies with confidence,” Lee said while presiding over a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. South Korea must continue to develop... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351739/why-south-koreas-lee-urging-mutual-respect-diplomacy-amid-us-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351739/why-south-koreas-lee-urging-mutual-respect-diplomacy-amid-us-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:03:53 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk When people were told to stay home during the Covid-19 pandemic, watching K-dramas became a solace for fans of South Korea’s best-known export around the world. But for North Koreans, it spelled death. A report released by North Korea-focused human rights organisation Transition Justice Working Group (TJWG) on Tuesday showed that the number of people executed for consuming South Korean cultural content – such as K-dramas, films and K-pop – and religious practices surged by 250 per cent after... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351737/north-koreas-executions-watching-k-dramas-foreign-content-surge-during-covid-19-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351737/north-koreas-executions-watching-k-dramas-foreign-content-surge-during-covid-19-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:45:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Signatories of the landmark nuclear non-proliferation treaty began a meeting on Monday at the United Nations in New York as fears of a renewed arms race escalate, with atomic powers again at loggerheads over safeguards. In 2022, during the last review of the treaty considered the cornerstone of non-proliferation, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned humanity was “one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation”. On Monday he warned “the drivers” of nuclear weapons... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351625/looming-risk-nuclear-arms-race-un-proliferation-meeting-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351625/looming-risk-nuclear-arms-race-un-proliferation-meeting-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:41:03 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea and Russia are moving to consolidate their military ties at a time of deepening global instability, with both sides using the Ukraine war as a symbol of their unwavering alliance. Sunday’s unveiling of a memorial museum in Pyongyang for North Korean soldiers killed in the war was also aimed at showing the two countries were in lockstep over their anti-West stance, according to observers. The partnership stemmed from their converging needs – Russia’s demand for manpower and materiel,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351533/north-korea-russia-boost-anti-west-powerful-bulwark-ukraine-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351533/north-korea-russia-boost-anti-west-powerful-bulwark-ukraine-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 06:13:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country would continue to support Russia’s policies and he discussed the international political situation with Russia’s defence minister, state media KCNA reported on Monday. A Russian delegation including Defence Minister Andrei Belousov attended a completion ceremony for a ‌‌memorial honouring North Korean soldiers killed while fighting in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces staged an incursion in 2024, KCNA said. Russia launched a full-scale... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351505/north-koreas-kim-vows-continued-support-russia-memorial-fallen-troops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351505/north-koreas-kim-vows-continued-support-russia-memorial-fallen-troops?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:30:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Strikes across Ukraine, Russian-occupied territory and Russia over the past day killed at least 16 people, authorities said on Sunday as the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster prompted new warnings about risks posed by attacks near the plant during Russia’s more than four-year invasion of its neighbour. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the anniversary with a warning that Russian attacks risk repeating history. “Russia is once again bringing the world to the brink of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351499/16-dead-strikes-chernobyl-anniversary-highlights-nuclear-risks-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351499/16-dead-strikes-chernobyl-anniversary-highlights-nuclear-risks-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 17:57:00 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong War on Iran has changed many things, not least of which is the tenor of nuclear debate in two of America’s closest Asian allies: countries that have long defined themselves by the weapons they do not possess. For decades, the question of whether South Korea and Japan might one day build their own nuclear arsenal was treated as fringe speculation – the preserve of hawks and provocateurs. No longer. The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has sounded the alarm.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351330/will-south-korea-or-japan-develop-nuclear-deterrent-their-own?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351330/will-south-korea-or-japan-develop-nuclear-deterrent-their-own?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:11 +0000 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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean police have moved to detain Bang Si-hyuk, the founder of K-pop giant Hybe – the entertainment company behind groups including BTS – in a case that has spilled beyond finance and into the politics of Seoul’s uneasy alliance with Washington. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it had requested an arrest warrant for Bang through the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, citing alleged fraudulent stock trading in violation of the Capital Markets Act. The case took on a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350898/south-korean-police-seek-arrest-warrant-hybe-founder-bang-after-travel-request?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3350898/south-korean-police-seek-arrest-warrant-hybe-founder-bang-after-travel-request?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:09:19 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A reported US pullback in intelligence-sharing with South Korea has exposed a new trust gap between the allies after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young publicly mentioned a suspected North Korean uranium-enrichment site. Washington viewed Chung’s remark as disclosing sensitive information about Kusong – a site long discussed in outside analyses, but not previously identified publicly by a South Korean official in such terms – and responded by reducing the intelligence it shared with Seoul,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350756/south-korea-us-tensions-flare-over-intelligence-leak-claims-pyongyang-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350756/south-korea-us-tensions-flare-over-intelligence-leak-claims-pyongyang-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:30:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Sunday, its neighbours said, days after the UN’s nuclear watchdog warned that North Korea was making “very serious” advances in efforts to build nuclear weapons. The missiles fired from the North’s Sinpo area flew about 140 kilometres (87 miles) each towards the country’s eastern waters, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It said South Korea maintains a readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea and is... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350644/north-korea-launches-ballistic-missiles-un-warns-nuclear-advances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350644/north-korea-launches-ballistic-missiles-un-warns-nuclear-advances?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:54:15 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong As the war on Iran continues to command global attention, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stepped up his appearances at military events, using drills and missile tests to project confidence at home and defiance abroad. His heightened visibility suggests that Kim feels more secure in his country’s nuclear deterrence as Washington’s focus is pulled in several directions, analysts say. Kim has cast himself as increasingly assertive and is distancing himself from the symbolic rituals observed by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350305/north-koreas-kim-ramps-show-force-us-war-iran-raises-stakes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350305/north-koreas-kim-ramps-show-force-us-war-iran-raises-stakes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Gabriela Bernal Gabriela Bernal Having invested significant diplomatic capital into ties with Russia in recent years, North Korea now seems to be pivoting back to China. Leader Kim Jong-un said his country places “the greatest value” on improving ties with Beijing. This shift came during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s two-day visit to North Korea last week, where he met Kim and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui. Notably, Wang’s visit marked his first to North Korea since 2019. In the intervening years of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349984/why-north-korea-rekindling-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349984/why-north-korea-rekindling-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:30:12 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Washington’s senior envoys to the United Nations took a victory lap in Senate testimony on Wednesday over the US-inspired cuts and efficiency drive at the multilateral agency, even as they slammed its inability to end the conflict in Ukraine, stem the Iran war started by the US and Israel or curb China’s growing clout. Mike Waltz, US ambassador to the UN, touted the US$570 million in UN budget cuts, 3,000 fewer jobs and the US decision to pull out of several UN agencies, even as he defended US... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350229/us-envoy-waltz-touts-america-first-policy-budget-cuts-senate-swipe-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350229/us-envoy-waltz-touts-america-first-policy-budget-cuts-senate-swipe-un?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:29:48 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korea has made “very serious” advances in its abilities to turn out nuclear weapons, with the probable addition of a new uranium enrichment facility, as it steps up activity at a key complex, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said. Enriching uranium can provide an alternative, and experts say, a more effective, path to acquiring weapons-grade material in addition to ‌reprocessing spent plutonium extracted from a nuclear reactor. Speaking in Seoul on Wednesday, the head of the International... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350206/un-watchdog-warns-north-korea-boosting-nuclear-weapons-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350206/un-watchdog-warns-north-korea-boosting-nuclear-weapons-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:15:08 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said on Friday that relations with Beijing had been elevated to new heights. He was speaking at a meeting in Pyongyang with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where both sides pledged to deepen strategic coordination and “practical cooperation”. Wang’s two-day visit to North Korea is his first since 2019. At the meeting he conveyed greetings from President Xi Jinping, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua. Wang also said the meeting at the Workers’ Party of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349693/china-north-korea-thaw-gathers-pace-kim-jong-un-says-ties-have-reached-new-level?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349693/china-north-korea-thaw-gathers-pace-kim-jong-un-says-ties-have-reached-new-level?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:19:43 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Buying illegal drugs has become as easy as ordering a pizza in South Korea – especially for teens and young adults who have grown up in the digital age – as drug trafficking has increasingly moved online. On platforms like Telegram and the dark web, users familiar with drug-related slang can easily locate dealers. Consumers simply place an order, pay with bitcoin, and, once the transaction is complete, receive a message with instructions on where to collect their purchase. Pickup locations are... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349615/south-korean-youth-hooked-easy-access-drugs-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349615/south-korean-youth-hooked-easy-access-drugs-online?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 05:17:22 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea’s recent string of weapons tests, including cluster munitions, marks a renewed show of military strength ahead of next month’s US-China summit, even as Beijing may become a go-between to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula. Analysts say the summit could be an opportunity for China to arrange subsequent talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump. On Thursday, Pyongyang said tests conducted over the previous two days involved a radar-evading missile... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349499/why-north-koreas-kim-may-shake-hands-trump-again-despite-missile-tests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349499/why-north-koreas-kim-may-shake-hands-trump-again-despite-missile-tests?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:02:56 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg North Korea conducted a slew of new weapons tests, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said, including one involving an electromagnetic weapon system and a carbon fibre bomb. The tests, which were conducted over three days from Monday to Wednesday, were overseen by General Kim Jong-sik, the KCNA report said. The weapons tests come at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Pyongyang has moved closer to Moscow in recent years, supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine, and is now... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349440/tests-electromagnetic-weapon-and-carbon-fibre-bomb-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349440/tests-electromagnetic-weapon-and-carbon-fibre-bomb-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:57:27 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to North Korea on Thursday for a two-day visit, according to the foreign ministry in Beijing. The visit, at the invitation of the North Korean foreign ministry, will be Wang’s first trip to North Korea since early September 2019, when he travelled to Pyongyang for three days. Earlier this year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un cemented his leadership at the latest congress of the country’s ruling party. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349369/chinese-top-envoy-wang-yi-set-north-korea-trip-first-pyongyang-visit-2019?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349369/chinese-top-envoy-wang-yi-set-north-korea-trip-first-pyongyang-visit-2019?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:18:53 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The president who yearned for a Nobel Peace Prize and once revelled in the appearance of solving conflicts turned to the language of annihilation as he struggled to find a resolution to his war of choice in Iran. US President Donald Trump’s latest threat over the Iran war hit a new extreme on Tuesday as he warned “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again”, if Iran failed to make a deal that included reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz. The Republican president’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349340/madness-or-bluster-trumps-apocalyptic-language-raises-key-questions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349340/madness-or-bluster-trumps-apocalyptic-language-raises-key-questions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:50:11 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong The latest indirect exchange of comments between North and South Korea has raised hopes of easing tensions on the Korean peninsula even as conflict roils other parts of the globe. Hours after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over drone incursions into the North on Monday, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a warm statement. The powerful politician welcomed Lee’s remarks as “extremely fortunate and a wise move”, citing her brother as praising Lee’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349224/whats-behind-sudden-thaw-north-south-korea-exchange-warm-words?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349224/whats-behind-sudden-thaw-north-south-korea-exchange-warm-words?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:24:16 +0000