Patriotic Russian pop singer Shaman performed a new song dedicated to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at his concert in Pyongyang last week, blending elements of both countries’ propaganda in an upbea...

North Korea’s first military parade in more than two years ended up being one of the smallest of Kim Jong Un’s rule, though that didn’t stop the regime from demonstrating its rapidly evolving capabili...

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev served as Moscow’s high-profile emissary to North Korea for large-scale celebrations of the Workers’ Party (WPK) last week, meeting leader Kim Jong Un and atte...

North Korean state TV aired a snippet of a song by American pop star Bruno Mars in a recent broadcast, NK News analysis shows, despite the country’s strict controls banning consumption of foreign medi...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held talks with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Pyongyang on Friday, expressing hopes for strengthening the allies’ “strategic partnership” as they cooperate over the war in Ukraine. The meeting with Medvedev, the leader of the ruling United Russia party, took place on the sidelines of celebrations for the […]

This is a developing news story. Please check for further updates. (Last updated on Oct. 11 at 9:18 a.m. KST with photos from DPRK state media) North Korea showed off a massive new solid-fuel missile at a large-scale military parade in Pyongyang on Friday night, hailing the capability as the country’s “most powerful nuclear strategic […]

The U.S. and South Korea held their first deputy foreign minister-level strategic dialogue in four years on Friday, agreeing to strengthen coordination on North Korea’s complete denuclearization and underscoring the importance of trilateral cooperation with Japan. ROK First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo met with U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker […]

ROK government funding for a center that helps North Korean defectors resettle in the South has held steady despite a significant decrease in new arrivals, according to a ruling party lawmaker, raising concerns about inefficient operations. At the same time, lawmaker Kim Sang-wook of the Democratic Party criticized a lack of sufficient support for children […]

The pro-Putin pop star Shaman and Russian art troupes performed for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a concert in Pyongyang on Thursday, a showcase of friendly ties that paid tribute to DPRK soldiers who died in the Ukraine war.  The singers and other performers from the Russian State Academic People’s Chorus, the “Todec” […]

Editor’s note: NK Pro will go live the moment the Oct. 10 parade broadcast begins, providing real-time commentary and analysis. Register here for access. North Korea is expected to stage a large-scale nighttime military parade late Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of the ruling party’s foundation, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) has assessed. […]

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in North Korea on Thursday to join 80th anniversary celebrations of the DPRK’s ruling party, which are expected to include a large-scale military parade through the capital. In a two-sentence report, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency stated that Li is visiting North Korea at the invitation of the Workers’ Party […]

North Korea held its first mass games propaganda performance in five years on Thursday, where leader Kim Jong Un delivered a speech to promote the benefits of totalitarianism for hundreds of foreign visitors, including China’s premier and the leaders of Vietnam and Russia’s ruling parties. According to state media on Friday, Kim told foreign guests […]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met China’s premier and the heads of Russia’s and Vietnam’s ruling parties on Thursday, amid large-scale celebrations for the Workers Party of Korea’s 80th anniversary in Pyongyang. At a mass games performance kicking off festivities, Kim enthusiastically greeted Chinese Premier Li Qiang, United Russia Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev and Communist […]

North Korea kicked off celebrations for the 80th founding anniversary of the ruling party with a mass games performance in Pyongyang on Thursday evening, ahead of an imminent military parade showcasing the country’s military might in front of officials from across the world. In a Telegram post, Alexander Khinshtein, the acting governor of Russia’s Kursk […]

South Korea’s exports fell 15.2% year-on-year to $13 billion in the first 10 days of October, while imports dropped 22.8% to $13.5 billion, leaving a $500 million trade deficit, the Korea Customs Service said Monday. The decline reflected fewer working days during the Chuseok and National Foundation Day holidays, with only 3.5 working days compared […] The post South Korea’s trade slips as tariff dispute and weak won unsettle markets appeared first on Korea Pro.

China’s premier and the leader of Russia’s ruling party stood side-by-side with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as nuclear missiles rolled through central Pyongyang last week, once again underscoring the DPRK’s strengthened global position with its powerful neighbors at its back. But these high-profile dignitaries were far from the only foreign guests on hand […]

North Korea and Vietnam have signed a series of agreements on increasing cooperation in fields ranging from health care and aviation to defense, raising the possibility that Hanoi seeks know-how from the DPRK’s troop deployment to Ukraine and weapons technologies. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Saturday that top officials, including the foreign […]

South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT’s (MSIT) audit report released on Monday exposes a disconnect between the country’s ambition to become a top-three global artificial intelligence (AI) power by 2030 and its digital infrastructure and governance capacity. The report, presented during parliamentary audits, highlights the scale of Seoul’s industrial research and development (R&D) pivot […] The post South Korea’s AI ambitions run up against infrastructure and governance failings appeared first on Korea Pro.

South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers on Monday that U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) is “solely intended to reinforce deterrence against North Korea,” drawing a clear distinction between Seoul’s defense priorities and Washington’s broader effort to counter China. Ahn made the remarks during a parliamentary audit of the defense ministry before the National Assembly’s […]

North Korea’s first military parade in more than two years ended up being one of the smallest of Kim Jong Un’s rule, though that didn’t stop the regime from demonstrating its rapidly evolving capabilities with striking new assets. Tanks, artillery, rockets and ballistic missiles all rolled through Kim Il Sung Square for the 80th anniversary […] The post Infographic: North Korea’s smallest military parade in years still packs a punch appeared first on NK PRO.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared that large-scale events to mark the 80th anniversary of the ruling party demonstrated the country’s “absolute dignity and might” to the world, gathering participants of a military parade, mass games, float parade and torch march to thank them for their “spirit of serving the state.”  Kim stressed how […]

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose a 100% tariff on all Chinese imports starting Nov. 1 or sooner, responding to Beijing’s new export controls on rare-earth materials. Trump accused China of taking an “extraordinarily aggressive position” and announced plans for new U.S. export controls on “any and all critical software.” He also […] The post Trump’s 100% tariff threat deepens U.S.-China split ahead of APEC summit appeared first on Korea Pro.

North Korea held what will likely be the final parade of its ongoing five-year military modernization campaign on Friday, unveiling multiple new missiles in another showcase of the central role of strategic and tactical nuclear systems in Kim Jong Un’s defense strategy. The Oct. 10 parade commemorated the 80th anniversary of the founding of the […] The post What to make of the Hwasong-20, North Korea’s puzzling new nuclear missile appeared first on NK PRO.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held talks with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Pyongyang on Friday, expressing hopes for strengthening the allies’ “strategic partnership” as they cooperate over the war in Ukraine. The meeting with Medvedev, the leader of the ruling United Russia party, took place on the sidelines of celebrations for the […]