https://www.scmp.com/rss/34518/feed Kim Jong-un is the supreme leader of North Korea, the third and youngest son of Kim Jong-il (1941–2011) and the grandson of Kim Il-sung (1912–1994). Following his father's death in 2011, he was announced as the "Great Successor" by North Korean state television. He has held the titles of the First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Chairman of the Central Military Commission, First Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret to Pyongyang on Monday over drones sent into North Korea earlier this year, actions he called “irresponsible”. South Korea initially denied any official role in the January drone incursion – with authorities suggesting it was the work of civilians – but Lee said an investigation had revealed government officials had been involved. “Although this was not the intention of our government, we express our regret to the North that unnecessary... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349113/south-koreas-lee-regrets-drones-sent-north-irresponsible-and-reckless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349113/south-koreas-lee-regrets-drones-sent-north-irresponsible-and-reckless?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:12:19 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai China’s flagship airline resumed direct flight services to Pyongyang on Monday, a symbolic and logistical development that marks warming bilateral ties and comes just weeks after passenger train services were restored for the first time in six years. The Air China flight arrived at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport on Monday morning. China’s ambassador to North Korea, Wang Yajun, and other embassy diplomats welcomed passengers at the airport, according to Chinese state news agency... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348370/china-steps-north-korea-connections-regular-beijing-pyongyang-flights-resume?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348370/china-steps-north-korea-connections-regular-beijing-pyongyang-flights-resume?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:09:20 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a test of a high-thrust solid-fuel engine for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching targets around the globe, touting the development as elevating the country’s “strategic military power to the highest level”, state media said on Sunday. The test of the engine made of composite carbon fibre material produced a maximum thrust of 2,500 kilonewtons, up from 1,971 kilonewtons recorded during a similar experiment last September, the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348280/north-tests-powerful-missile-engine-will-icbm-launch-follow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348280/north-tests-powerful-missile-engine-will-icbm-launch-follow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 05:49:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea and Belarus’ strongmen leaders signed a “friendship and cooperation” treaty on Thursday after Kim Jong-un gave a lavish welcome to President Alexander Lukashenko on his maiden visit. Besides supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine - around 2,000 North Korean soldiers are thought to have died - both nations are under Western sanctions and are accused of gross human rights violations. The two men met last year in China. “In the modern realities of global transformation - at a time when... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3348067/north-korea-and-belarus-sign-friendship-treaty-lukashenkos-first-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3348067/north-korea-and-belarus-sign-friendship-treaty-lukashenkos-first-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:08:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea and Belarus’ strongmen leaders signed a “friendship and cooperation” treaty on Thursday after Kim Jong-un gave a lavish welcome to President Alexander Lukashenko on his maiden visit. Besides supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine – around 2,000 North Korean soldiers are thought to have died – both nations are under Western sanctions and are accused of gross human rights violations. The two men met last year in China. “In the modern realities of global transformation – at a time when... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347922/lukashenko-greeted-kim-jong-un-belarus-leaders-first-visit-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347922/lukashenko-greeted-kim-jong-un-belarus-leaders-first-visit-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:33:07 +0000 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 Agencies Agencies North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was reappointed as president of ‌state affairs, state media reported on Monday, after the isolated nation convened the first session of its Supreme People’s Assembly a day earlier. North Korea’s constitution explicitly states that the president of state affairs is the “supreme leader of the DPRK” who represents the state, which is officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Kim’s reappointment as head of the authoritarian nation’s highest... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347517/north-korea-reappoints-kim-jong-un-supreme-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347517/north-korea-reappoints-kim-jong-un-supreme-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 01:01:43 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told US President Donald Trump on Thursday that she wants to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Pyongyang’s past abductions of Japanese nationals. Takaichi told reporters that she notified Trump during their meeting at the White House of her “strong intent to meet” Kim in person and that she has “received full support from the president towards an immediate solution.” Takaichi said she even exchanged views with Trump on how she could meet... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347237/japans-takaichi-conveys-trump-her-strong-intent-meet-north-koreas-kim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347237/japans-takaichi-conveys-trump-her-strong-intent-meet-north-koreas-kim?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 03:13:40 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow North Korea fired a volley of ballistic missiles on Saturday, just as US officials were in Seoul exploring ways to reopen talks with the regime that launched them. But Kim Jong-un is not waiting by the phone. Instead, analysts say North Korea’s supreme leader has set terms that leave little room for negotiation, with a calendar that leaves even less room for a summit. US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre touched down in Seoul last week and met Jeong... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347040/why-north-koreas-kim-expects-us-come-cap-hand-trump-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347040/why-north-koreas-kim-expects-us-come-cap-hand-trump-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 01:30:14 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Zhao Tong is a senior fellow with the Nuclear Policy Programme at Washington-based think tank the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and its East Asia-based research centre on contemporary China, Carnegie China. His research focuses on strategic security issues, including nuclear weapons policy, deterrence, arms control, non-proliferation, missile defence, hypersonic weapons, regional security in the Asia-Pacific, and China’s security and foreign policy. This interview first appeared in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346215/why-iran-strikes-may-drive-asian-nuclear-race-hit-china-middle-east-zhao-tong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346215/why-iran-strikes-may-drive-asian-nuclear-race-hit-china-middle-east-zhao-tong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China’s national flag carrier is set to run direct passenger flights to North Korea for the first time in six years later this month, the latest sign of warming ties between the two neighbours. The official app of Air China, one of the country’s largest state-owned airlines, shows bookings have opened for direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang starting on March 30. The service appears to be weekly for now, with bookings available only on Mondays. Based on current listings, initial economy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346590/air-china-resume-north-korea-flights-after-6-years-amid-warming-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346590/air-china-resume-north-korea-flights-after-6-years-amid-warming-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 11:00:54 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong As war with the United States and Israel batters Iran’s missile and nuclear infrastructure, analysts say Tehran is likely to turn to North Korea once again after the fighting stops, reviving a long-suspected partnership built on shared hostility towards Washington and years of military cooperation. North Korea has long been suspected of supplying missile technology to Iran and providing technical help with uranium enrichment, and analysts say it is likely to do so again once the war ends. “North... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346232/why-iran-and-north-korea-are-highly-likely-revive-missile-and-nuclear-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346232/why-iran-and-north-korea-are-highly-likely-revive-missile-and-nuclear-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:07 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China will resume passenger train services to North Korea for the first time in six years – the latest sign of warming ties between the two countries as Pyongyang grapples with increasing tensions with the South and Donald Trump’s unpredictability. From Thursday, passenger trains between Beijing and Pyongyang will run four times a week – on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, China Railway Group (CREC) said on social media Tuesday night. The train will depart from Beijing at around 5.30pm... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346128/china-north-korea-rail-services-restored-neighbours-try-get-relations-back-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346128/china-north-korea-rail-services-restored-neighbours-try-get-relations-back-track?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:00:12 +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 Syrus Solo Jin Syrus Solo Jin The North Korea that leaves the ninth Workers’ Party Congress is a different country from the one that left the eighth congress in 2021. Five years ago, the centrepiece of the eighth party congress was an ambitious weapons development programme unveiled by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and accompanied by belligerent rhetoric against the United States, both of which indicated the North Korean leadership’s concerns about their vulnerability. Now, Kim’s regime has an improved and resilient... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345219/nuclear-armed-north-korea-pivoting-reunification-coexistence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345219/nuclear-armed-north-korea-pivoting-reunification-coexistence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Washington’s decapitation operation in Iran would push Pyongyang to feel “vindicated” in developing nuclear weapons for its own security and move closer to China and Russia to bolster its deterrence capabilities, according to analysts. On Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected the test firing of what the country’s state media called a “strategic cruise missile” from the new 5,000-tonne naval destroyer Choe Hyon before the vessel’s official commissioning. Kim hailed the warship as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345806/will-us-attack-iran-push-north-korea-even-closer-russia-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345806/will-us-attack-iran-push-north-korea-even-closer-russia-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 15:00:07 +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 For decades, North Korea’s most potent insurance policy has been the threat it poses to Seoul, guaranteeing that any US move against Kim Jong-un’s regime would first exact an unbearable toll on the South. Now, a new Pentagon blueprint may have just offered that survival strategy Washington’s seal of approval. The new National Defence Strategy, presented to a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, calls on Seoul to take “primary” responsibility for deterring North Korea, with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345386/north-koreas-hostage-strategy-packs-more-bite-post-iran-us-shake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345386/north-koreas-hostage-strategy-packs-more-bite-post-iran-us-shake?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 07:39:32 +0000 Rob York Rob York A recent report by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service suggests Kim Jong-un has selected his daughter, Ju-ae (or possibly Ju-hae), to succeed him as North Korea’s supreme leader. This is not the first time analysts have had to consider if North Korea, supposedly the most traditionalist of communist states, could have a female leader, but it is the most definitive. In 2020, Kim spent three weeks out of the spotlight, including missing the April 15 birth celebration of his grandfather, Kim... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344613/kim-jong-uns-daughter-may-well-become-north-koreas-first-female-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344613/kim-jong-uns-daughter-may-well-become-north-koreas-first-female-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +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 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui Billed as a maverick hybrid of Cantonese opera and contemporary political satire, Trump on Show returned to the stage on February 22 with up-to-date references that included the US Supreme Court’s ruling against US President Donald Trump’s global tariffs just days prior. The fourth version of the show, first created by feng shui master Edward Li Kui-ming in 2019, opened on the sixth day of the Year of the Horse and sold out quickly as a holiday blockbuster. It brings on board comedy actress... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3344471/trump-abducted-aliens-and-has-chinese-twin-chaotic-cantonese-opera?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3344471/trump-abducted-aliens-and-has-chinese-twin-chaotic-cantonese-opera?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:15:07 +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 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong Every spring, South Korea and the United States stage one of their largest combined military exercises in a show of force that North Korea invariably denounces as a rehearsal for war. This year, Seoul wants to dial them back, wagering that smaller drills could open a diplomatic door that has been shut since 2019. A joint press briefing on the Freedom Shield exercise that had been scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed amid differences over the scope of the drills, according to Yonhap news... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344312/freedom-shield-rift-south-korea-us-odds-over-war-games-scale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344312/freedom-shield-rift-south-korea-us-odds-over-war-games-scale?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after he cemented his leadership at the latest congress of the country’s ruling party. Xi said Kim’s reselection as general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea on Monday reflected the “high trust and wholehearted support” of the country’s “party, government and people”, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Xi said he was ready to work with Kim to “open a new chapter in China-DPRK [Democratic People’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344350/xi-jinping-expresses-hope-china-can-open-new-chapter-relations-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344350/xi-jinping-expresses-hope-china-can-open-new-chapter-relations-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:57:45 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo North Korea aired a new propaganda film on TV about a failed assassination attempt on the country’s supreme leader, with South Korean media describing it as an “unprecedented work addressing a taboo”. The film Days and Nights of Confrontation, which had been screened at cinemas in Pyongyang since last year, was released for the first time on state-run Korean Central Television in January. The latest piece depicting a plot to kill Kim Jong-il, the late father of incumbent leader Kim Jong-un, by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344237/north-koreas-hollywood-style-thriller-unveils-taboo-plot-against-kims-father?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344237/north-koreas-hollywood-style-thriller-unveils-taboo-plot-against-kims-father?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 03:39:23 +0000 Wee Kek Koon Wee Kek Koon South Korea’s intelligence agency has signalled what could be a historic turn in North Korea’s dynastic politics. Lawmakers were recently told that supreme leader Kim Jong-un’s teenage daughter, whose name is widely believed to be Kim Ju-ae, is being positioned as his likely successor. If confirmed, the move would extend the Kim family’s rule into a fourth generation and, more strikingly, elevate a girl within a rigidly patriarchal society and political system. Her public profile has risen... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3344084/kim-jong-un-grooms-daughter-rule-chinese-princess-whose-ambition-backfired?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3344084/kim-jong-un-grooms-daughter-rule-chinese-princess-whose-ambition-backfired?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:15:08 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea’s ruling party congress, convened only once every five years, opened in Pyongyang this weekend with supreme leader Kim Jong-un poised to formalise a military doctrine with far-reaching implications for security on the Korean peninsula and beyond. State media described the opening of the ninth congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea as unfolding “with splendour” in “the capital city of the revolution”, with 5,000 delegates and 2,000 observers in attendance. The carefully choreographed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344165/where-kim-ju-ae-succession-question-hangs-over-north-koreas-ruling-congress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344165/where-kim-ju-ae-succession-question-hangs-over-north-koreas-ruling-congress?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:18 +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