US endorses Korean uranium enrichment, reprocessing: why it matters — and what comes next

The United States has, for the first time, formally backed South Korea’s right to pursue civil uranium enrichment and spent-fuel reprocessing, opening the door for the allies to launch negotiations on expanding Seoul’s long-sought nuclear-fuel autonomy. Washington’s greenlight appeared in a carefully worded clause in the joint fact sheet released Friday, more than two weeks after the summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang P

Nov. 14, 2025

Chinese envoy urges Seoul to be ‘prudent’ in its pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines

The Chinese envoy to South Korea urged Seoul to proceed “prudently” with its plan to develop nuclear-powered attack submarines in coordination with the United States. Ambassador Dai Bing further warned that the South Korea–US alliance’s push for “modernization” could prompt a shift in Beijing’s posture if it expands into new strategic objectives beyond the Korean Peninsula. Dai reiterated the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s concerns about cooperation between Seoul and Washington on the submarine-buil

Nov. 14, 2025

Russia, N. Korea sign two accords to deepen media cooperation

Russia and North Korea signed two parallel agreements this week on media and public information cooperation, extending their deepening strategic alignment and signaling tighter coordination in their external and public communications. The Committee on Public Information, North Korea's state publicity and media-oversight organ, and Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media inked an agreement on cooperation in mass media and public information, North Korea’s state-run

Nov. 13, 2025

Martial law probe arrests ex-spy chief Cho, ex-PM Hwang a month before deadline

Former spy chief Cho Tae-yong, a key figure in a special counsel investigation into ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law declaration, was arrested Wednesday — just a month before the probe’s mandate expires. Later in the day, the special counsel also arrested former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who had served in the Park Geun-hye administration, on charges of inciting insurrection by posting a message on Facebook in support of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. Unlike Cho, Hwang r

Nov. 12, 2025

Media outlet launched to bring news tailored to N. Koreans abroad

A group of North Korean defectors and human rights activists has launched an online media platform aimed at delivering information to North Koreans living and working abroad, with the long-term goal of reaching audiences inside North Korea. The new outlet, called Korea Internet Studio, was officially launched Tuesday amid the shutdown of multiple radio and broadcast services long operated by the US and South Korean governments to deliver information to North Korean audiences. These include the U

Nov. 11, 2025

China’s envoy calls for deeper Seoul-Beijing ties with long-term vision

Seoul and Beijing should strengthen their relations with a long-term vision to sustain the momentum from the first summit between the two countries' leaders, rather than viewing ties through a short-term lens, China’s ambassador to South Korea said Tuesday. Ambassador Dai Bing highlighted the significance of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to South Korea — his first since 2014 — on the occasion of the APEC summit from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, as well as his first in-person summit with South

Nov. 11, 2025

NK hackers hijack Google, KakaoTalk accounts to control phones: report

North Korean state-sponsored hackers hijacked Google accounts to remotely control and wipe smartphones and tablets held by individuals in South Korea, then exploited their KakaoTalk messenger as a channel to spread malware to their contacts, a report said Monday. The attack marks the first confirmed case of a North Korean state-sponsored hacking group compromising Google accounts to gain remote control over smart devices, according to South Korean cybersecurity firm Genians. The attack was ident

Nov. 10, 2025

Another body pulled from power plant tower

The body of another worker was recovered Sunday from the site of the collapsed boiler tower at a decommissioned power plant in Ulsan, three days after the fatal accident. The recovery came as the intermittent and challenging rescue operation at Ulsan Thermal Power Plant briefly resumed Sunday morning, after being suspended Saturday afternoon amid safety concerns and unstable site conditions. The victim was identified as a 44-year-old man surnamed Kim, who had been trapped with his arm caught in

Nov. 9, 2025

North Korea vows to match US ‘hostility’ with patience after new sanctions

North Korea denounced the latest US sanctions as evidence of Washington's “unchanging hostility” toward the country, vowing to respond with patience and corresponding measures for as long as such a policy continues. North Korea’s Vice Minister for US Affairs at the Foreign Ministry Kim Un-chol issued a press statement titled "We clarify our clear stance as we confirmed again the US ulterior intention to be hostile towards our state to the last" on Thursday morning. The press statement came after

Nov. 6, 2025

US tightens sanctions on N. Korea after Trump-Kim summit snub

The Trump administration has announced new sanctions on North Korea, tightening pressure after US President Donald Trump’s trip to South Korea ended without a long-sought meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The US Treasury Department on Tuesday announced sanctions on two North Korean financial institutions and eight individuals for helping the regime launder funds obtained through illicit schemes, including cybercrime and overseas IT worker fraud. “North Korean state-sponsored hackers

Nov. 5, 2025