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North Korea

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

Capital

Pyongyang

Head of State

Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un

Head of Government

Premier Kim Tok-hun

South Korea

What Takaichi’s landslide victory could mean for Japan-South Korea ties

Japan’s conservative tilt has revived South Korean concerns of more nationalist policies that could reopen historical and security wounds.

3 hours agovideocam

Kim Jong-un

Kim Jong-un vows ‘outstanding’ military role in new 5-year North Korea arms plan

10 Feb 2026 - 4:38PMvideocam

South Korea

Hope for thaw? Seoul hints at ‘new progress’ in US-North Korea ties

7 Feb 2026 - 9:30AM

South Korea

‘I won’t survive’: North Korean soldier caught by Ukraine dreads going home

Seoul faces a diplomatic tightrope as the captured soldiers plead for asylum in South Korea.

7 Feb 2026 - 7:21AMvideocam

A North Korean prisoner of war who was captured by Ukrainian forces in 2025. Photo: AFP

South Korea

A new start for Pyongyang? Fears mount as US-Russia nuclear pact expires

The end of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty will be a blow to efforts to curb North Korea’s nuclear build-up, analysts say.

6 Feb 2026 - 5:30PMvideocam

Japan

Could a ‘shock’ Pyongyang visit cement Japan PM Takaichi’s snap election bid?

Despite scepticism, a leading campaigner claims Pyongyang is ready to return surviving abductees for ‘immediate, large-scale’ aid.

5 Feb 2026 - 10:24AMvideocam

ICBMs

China grows nuclear arsenal as last US-Russia limits expire

President Xi Jinping plans to further expand China’s nuclear weapons stockpile, while caps on US and Russian deployments end this week.

5 Feb 2026 - 2:58PM

A Chinese DF-5C intercontinental strategic nuclear missile on display at a military parade. (Photo: EPA)

Japan

Japan set to revive WWII military titles in controversial shift

While some argue the change aligns Japan with global norms, others say better pay – not historical titles – is what soldiers really need.

3 Feb 2026 - 5:27PM

US-China relations

Pentagon eyes expanded role for South Korea-based US forces to help deter China

US defence policy chief signals ‘model ally’ Seoul should take the lead on North Korea as Washington refocuses on first island chain.

1 Feb 2026 - 10:00PM

Kim Jong-un

Kim Jong-un set to signal stronger nuclear deterrence posture at congress

After viewing a test of a multiple rocket launcher system, Kim is likely to unveil ICBM plans capable of hitting the US, analysts say.

31 Jan 2026 - 2:07PMvideocam

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju-ae, oversee a test-fire of a large-calibre multiple-rocket launcher system at an unknown location in North Korea. Photo: EPA/KCNA

Japan

Why more Japanese than ever support strengthening the military

A record-high survey result reflects how the war in Ukraine and regional tensions have reshaped Japan’s once cautious security outlook.

29 Jan 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

Japan

Will North Korea compensate Japanese citizens lured into ‘paradise on Earth’?

A Tokyo court has ordered Pyongyang to pay damages, but the plaintiffs are now bracing for a long fight to enforce the ruling.

29 Jan 2026 - 8:18AM

South Korea

Why US defence strategy may hurt leaders in South Korea, Japan

The National Defence Strategy states that the US will provide ‘more limited’ support to its allies in line with the ‘America-first’ policy.

28 Jan 2026 - 9:11PMvideocam

The Philippines

Filipino’s death fuels concern over coercive recruitment in Ukraine war

Observers say the case of John Patrick reflects human exploitation and the structural pressure on Russia’s manpower resources.

30 Jan 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

Ukrainian soldiers fire the BM-21 Grad MLRS at an undisclosed location in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, on January 24, amid the Russian invasion. Photo: EPA/24th Mechanised Brigade Press Service

Kim Jong-un

North Korean ex-envoy on Kim Jong-un’s ‘decapitation’ fears after Maduro’s fall

Kim will ‘overhaul the entire system regarding his security and countermeasures in case of an attack against him’, Lee Il-kyu says.

28 Jan 2026 - 1:26PMvideocam

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects a test firing of a rocket launcher system on Tuesday. Photo: KCNA via KNS/AFP

UK tour agency aims to restart international amateur golf event in North Korea

It hopes to host the North Korean Amateur Open in 2026, with the event open to golfers of all nationalities except South Korean, US citizens.

28 Jan 2026 - 7:00AM

Trump administration

North Korea fires ballistic missiles as US signals defence shift

As the Trump administration seeks to focus on the US homeland, it is urging South Korea to take the primary role in deterring Pyongyang.

28 Jan 2026 - 4:07AMvideocam

Defence

Pentagon shifts North Korean responsibility to ‘capable’ South

US officials have recently been pushing to allow American troops in South Korea more flexibility to operate outside the peninsula.

24 Jan 2026 - 10:20AM

US soldiers walk past military vehicles at a military training field in the border city of Yeoncheon, South Korea, in 2023. Photo: AFP

ICBMs

Past nuclear weapon tests linked to 4 million premature deaths globally: report

Norwegian People’s Aid details a deadly legacy of tests since 1945 that continue to sicken and claim lives.

22 Jan 2026 - 12:46PMvideocam

Artificial intelligence

AI shaping world’s biggest infrastructure buildout: Nvidia CEO

Each country should build their own AI system, incorporating its own language and culture into the AI models, Huang says at the WEF in Davos.

21 Jan 2026 - 10:21PMvideocam

South Korea

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

A ‌judge said Han Duck-soo ‘disregarded his duty and responsibility as prime minister until the very end’.

22 Jan 2026 - 11:36AMvideocam

South Korea

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

Pyongyang is producing nuclear material for up to 20 weapons annually, President Lee Jae Myung says.

21 Jan 2026 - 12:40PMvideocam

Kim Jong-un

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

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

21 Jan 2026 - 5:28PMvideocam

South Korea

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

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

20 Jan 2026 - 5:26PM

South Korea

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

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

18 Jan 2026 - 3:38PMvideocam

South Korea’s Hyunmoo-5 missile is displayed during a ceremony in Seongnam in 2024. Photo: AFP

Vietnam

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

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

17 Jan 2026 - 8:53AM

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

South Korea

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

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

16 Jan 2026 - 6:54PMvideocam

South Korea

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

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

14 Jan 2026 - 8:17PMvideocam

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