INSIDER
North Korea is preparing to destroy northern parts of inter-Korean roads, Seoul says
Read full article: North Korea is preparing to destroy northern parts of inter-Korean roads, Seoul saysSouth Korea has detected signs North Korea is preparing to destroy parts of inter-Korean roads no longer in use, as tensions soar between them over North Korea’s claim that South Korea flew drones over its territory.
2025 Club World Cup final to be at MetLife Stadium, site of 2026 World Cup final
Read full article: 2025 Club World Cup final to be at MetLife Stadium, site of 2026 World Cup finalNext year’s championship of the expanded Club World Cup will be played on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, site of the 2026 World Cup final.
Kim calls for bolstering nuclear and conventional weapons after testing 2 types of missiles
Read full article: Kim calls for bolstering nuclear and conventional weapons after testing 2 types of missilesNorth Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has supervised successful tests of two types of missiles as he ordered officials to bolster up his country’s military capabilities to repel U.S.-led threats.
Army private who fled to North Korea will plead guilty to desertion
Read full article: Army private who fled to North Korea will plead guilty to desertionA U.S. Army private who fled to North Korea just over a year ago will plead guilty to desertion and four other charges and take responsibility for his conduct.
China premier agrees on cooperation with Seoul, Tokyo but issues veiled rebuke against their US ties
Read full article: China premier agrees on cooperation with Seoul, Tokyo but issues veiled rebuke against their US tiesChina’s premier has agreed to revive three-way cooperation with South Korea and Japan in the face of shared challenges but issued a veiled rebuke against the two countries’ expanding security cooperation with the United States.
South Korean, Chinese and Japanese leaders discuss thorny topics and ways to boost cooperation
Read full article: South Korean, Chinese and Japanese leaders discuss thorny topics and ways to boost cooperationThe Japanese and South Korean leaders have raised sensitive topics like Taiwan, North Korea and the South China Sea as well as ways to boost cooperation, when they individually met China’s premier.
Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet Monday for their first trilateral talks since 2019
Read full article: Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet Monday for their first trilateral talks since 2019Leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet next week in Seoul for their first trilateral talks since 2019.
North Korea appears to be looking to make more bomb fuels at its main nuclear facility, experts say
Read full article: North Korea appears to be looking to make more bomb fuels at its main nuclear facility, experts sayThe U.N. atomic agency and outside experts say North Korea may have started operating a light-water reactor at its main nuclear complex in a possible attempt to establish a new facility to produce bomb fuels.
South Korea, Japan and China agree to resume trilateral leaders' summit, but without specific date
Read full article: South Korea, Japan and China agree to resume trilateral leaders' summit, but without specific dateThe top diplomats from South Korea, Japan and China have agreed to revive cooperation among the Asian neighbors and resume their leaders’ trilateral summit.
Blinken seeks G7 unity on Israel-Hamas war among items on crisis-heavy global agenda
Read full article: Blinken seeks G7 unity on Israel-Hamas war among items on crisis-heavy global agendaFresh from a whirlwind tour of the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has shifted his intense diplomacy on the Israel-Hamas war to Asia.
Army private who fled to North Korea charged with desertion, held by US military
Read full article: Army private who fled to North Korea charged with desertion, held by US militaryAn Army private who fled to North Korea before being returned home to the United States last month has been detained by the U.S. military.
'Stop it!' UN's nuclear chief pushes Iran to end block on international inspectors
Read full article: 'Stop it!' UN's nuclear chief pushes Iran to end block on international inspectorsThe U.N. nuclear chief says he asked to meet Iran’s president on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly’s high-level meeting, His goal is to reverse Tehran’s ban on many of the agency’s inspectors.
Mother of Army private in North Korea tells AP that her son 'has so many reasons to come home'
Read full article: Mother of Army private in North Korea tells AP that her son 'has so many reasons to come home'The mother of a U.S. Army private who mysteriously sprinted across the border into North Korea last month says her son, Travis King, has “so many reasons to come home.
US, Japan and South Korea agree to expand security ties at summit amid China, North Korea worries
Read full article: US, Japan and South Korea agree to expand security ties at summit amid China, North Korea worriesPresident Joe Biden and the leaders of Japan and South Korea have agreed to expand security and economic ties at a historic summit Friday at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David.
South Korea throws huge K-Pop concert for Scouts after storm Khanun disrupted their Jamboree
Read full article: South Korea throws huge K-Pop concert for Scouts after storm Khanun disrupted their JamboreeA day after a powerful tropical storm flooded dozens of homes and turned streets into muddy rivers, South Korea is throwing a huge K-Pop concert in Seoul for 40,000 Scouts whose global Jamboree was disrupted by the weather.
US military chief praises Japan's defense funding boost as a buttress against China and North Korea
Read full article: US military chief praises Japan's defense funding boost as a buttress against China and North KoreaThe highest-ranking U.S. military officer is praising Japan's moves to double its defense spending over the next five years.
US, allies clash with Russia, China over North Korea's failed military spy satellite launch
Read full article: US, allies clash with Russia, China over North Korea's failed military spy satellite launchThe United States and its allies clashed with Russia and China over North Korea’s failed launch of a military spy satellite this week in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, which Moscow and Beijing refused to condemn.
World leaders warn China and North Korea on nukes as Ukraine's Zelenskyy travels to G7 summit
Read full article: World leaders warn China and North Korea on nukes as Ukraine's Zelenskyy travels to G7 summitLeaders of the world’s most powerful democracies warned China and North Korea against building up their nuclear arsenals, pivoting to major northeast Asian crises ahead of the arrival later Saturday of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Watch: Texas immigrants ‘shocked’ by bill that would have prevented them from buying homes
Read full article: Watch: Texas immigrants ‘shocked’ by bill that would have prevented them from buying homesInitially, Senate Bill 147 would have prevented legal Texas residents from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from buying land. Pushback from immigrant groups persuaded senators to soften the proposal.
U.S. to send nuclear submarines in new pledge to protect South Korea from North’s threats
Read full article: U.S. to send nuclear submarines in new pledge to protect South Korea from North’s threatsThe United States will deploy nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea for the first time in decades — part of a new agreement that will signal Washington's commitment to defend Seoul against rising nuclear threats from North Korea, U.S. officials said.
G-7 diplomats reject Chinese, N. Korean, Russian aggression
Read full article: G-7 diplomats reject Chinese, N. Korean, Russian aggressionTop diplomats from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies are vowing a tough stance on China’s increasing threats to Taiwan and on North Korea’s unchecked tests of long-range missiles.
North Korea tests underwater attack drone that can generate ‘radioactive tsunami’
Read full article: North Korea tests underwater attack drone that can generate ‘radioactive tsunami’North Korea said Friday it had tested a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone capable of launching a “radioactive tsunami,” as its leader Kim Jong Un vowed to make his rivals “plunge into despair.”
Slovenia band Laibach concert in Ukraine canceled amid rift
Read full article: Slovenia band Laibach concert in Ukraine canceled amid riftA planned concert by Slovenia's popular bank Laibach in Ukraine next month has been cancelled after the group angered Ukrainians by remarks interpreted to suggest that Kiyv was a client state fighting a war for its Western masters.
NATO chief urges Seoul to send military support to Ukraine
Read full article: NATO chief urges Seoul to send military support to UkraineNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is calling for South Korea to provide direct military support to Ukraine, saying Kyiv is in urgent need of weapons to fight off the prolonged Russian invasion.
Watch live: Mayor Turner joins community, state leaders to condemn Senate Bill 147
Read full article: Watch live: Mayor Turner joins community, state leaders to condemn Senate Bill 147Local, and state leaders will gather Monday to denounce the recently-filed Senate Bill 147, which would prohibit citizens and business entities from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia from purchasing land within the state of Texas.
North Korea threatens strong military step against Japan
Read full article: North Korea threatens strong military step against JapanNorth Korea is threatening to take "a resolute and decisive military step” against Japan while it slammed Tokyo’s adoption of a national security strategy as an attempt to turn the country into an aggressive military power.
VP Harris assures Asian leaders US is 'here to stay'
Read full article: VP Harris assures Asian leaders US is 'here to stay'U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is assuring Asian leaders “the United States is here to stay” as she pitches Washington as a reliable economic partner committed to the region and its prosperity.
US offers up to $5 million for info on North Korean shipper
Read full article: US offers up to $5 million for info on North Korean shipperThe Biden administration is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information about a Singapore-based businessman already accused by the Justice Department of facilitating fuel shipments to North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions.
South Korea proposes meeting with North on family reunions
Read full article: South Korea proposes meeting with North on family reunionsSouth Korea has proposed a meeting with North Korea to resume reunions of families separated since the 1950-53 Korean War, despite long-strained ties over the North’s nuclear weapons program.
Flights grounded in South Korea as Typhoon Hinnamnor nears
Read full article: Flights grounded in South Korea as Typhoon Hinnamnor nearsHundreds of flights have been grounded and more than 200 people evacuated in South Korea as Typhoon Hinnamnor approached the country’s southern region with heavy rains and winds of up to 105 miles per hour, the strongest storm in decades.
WHO: COVID deaths dropped by 21% last week but cases rising
Read full article: WHO: COVID deaths dropped by 21% last week but cases risingThe number of coronavirus deaths globally dropped by about 21% in the past week while cases rose in most parts of the world, according to the World Health Organization.
WHO: Omicron makes China's 'zero-COVID' policy unsustainable
Read full article: WHO: Omicron makes China's 'zero-COVID' policy unsustainableThe head of the World Health Organization says China’s extreme approach to containing the coronavirus is unsustainable because of the highly infectious nature of the omicron variant.
US, S Korea urge North's return to talks after missile tests
Read full article: US, S Korea urge North's return to talks after missile testsThe U.S. special envoy for North Korea says Washington and Seoul have agreed on the need for a strong response to North Korea's recent spate of missile tests, though they remain open to dialogue with the country.
US lawmakers affirm Japan alliance eyeing China, North Korea
Read full article: US lawmakers affirm Japan alliance eyeing China, North KoreaJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and visiting U.S. lawmakers have reaffirmed their commitment to working together under a longstanding alliance at a time of heightened global tensions and threats from China and North Korea.
China's ZTE says probation ends after clash with Washington
Read full article: China's ZTE says probation ends after clash with WashingtonChinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp. says a U.S. judge has allowed a probation period to end after the company was nearly destroyed in a clash with Washington over its dealings with Iran and North Korea.
US and Russia clash over use and impact of UN sanctions
Read full article: US and Russia clash over use and impact of UN sanctionsThe United States and its allies clashed with Russia and China in the U.N. Security Council over the usefulness and impact of U.N. sanctions, currently imposed on countries from North Korea to Yemen and Congo as well the al-Qaida and Islamic State extremist groups and their affiliates and supporters.
Biden-Kishida 1st formal talks touch on China, nuke weapons
Read full article: Biden-Kishida 1st formal talks touch on China, nuke weaponsPresident Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have used their first formal meeting to discuss concerns about China’s growing military assertiveness.
US says Horn of Africa envoy stepping down 'in coming days'
Read full article: US says Horn of Africa envoy stepping down 'in coming days'The U.S. State Department says its special envoy to the Horn of Africa will end his appointment “in the coming days” after a year marked by deadly crises in Ethiopia and Sudan.
N Korea says hypersonic missile tested to modernize weaponry
Read full article: N Korea says hypersonic missile tested to modernize weaponryNorth Korea said Thursday it has successfully launched a hypersonic missile as part of efforts to modernize its strategic weapons systems, days after leader Kim Jong Un vowed to bolster his military forces despite pandemic-related difficulties.
Australia and South Korea sign defense deal as leaders meet
Read full article: Australia and South Korea sign defense deal as leaders meetAustralia and South Korea have signed a $720 million defense deal as South Korean President Moon Jae-in became the first foreign leader to visit Australia since the pandemic began.
Japan PM vows to step up defense amid China, NK threats
Read full article: Japan PM vows to step up defense amid China, NK threatsJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, at his first troop review, has renewed his pledge to consider “all options,” including acquiring enemy base strike capability, and vowed to create a stronger Self-Defense Force to protect the country amid growing threats from China and North Korea.
North Korea's Kim seeks better ties with South, but slams US
Read full article: North Korea's Kim seeks better ties with South, but slams USNorth Korea leader Kim Jong Un has expressed willingness to restore stalled communication lines with South Korea to promote peace in early October, while he shrugged off recent U.S. offers for dialogue.
SKorea dairy company CEO resigns over virus research scandal
Read full article: SKorea dairy company CEO resigns over virus research scandalThe chairman of one of South Korea’s biggest dairy companies has resigned over a scandal in which his company was accused of deliberately spreading misinformation that its yogurt helps prevent coronavirus infections.
China: US should push North Korea diplomacy, not pressure
Read full article: China: US should push North Korea diplomacy, not pressureChina’s U.N. ambassador is expressing hope President Joe Biden’s policy toward North Korea will give more importance to diplomacy and dialogue instead of “extreme pressure” to try to stop Pyongyang’s nuclear program and denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
Biden to veer from Trump, Obama policies in taking on NKorea
Read full article: Biden to veer from Trump, Obama policies in taking on NKoreaThe White House says President Joe Biden plans to veer from the approaches of his two most recent predecessors as he tries to stop North Korea’s nuclear program, rejecting both Donald Trump’s deeply personal effort to win over Kim Jong Un and Barack Obama’s more hands-off approach.
Biden to veer from Trump, Obama policies in taking on NKorea
Read full article: Biden to veer from Trump, Obama policies in taking on NKoreaThe White House says President Joe Biden plans to veer from the approaches of his two most recent predecessors as he tries to stop North Korea’s nuclear program, rejecting both Donald Trump’s deeply personal effort to win over Kim Jong Un and Barack Obama’s more hands-off approach.
The Latest: 11 new COVID-19 cases in China's lone outbreak
Read full article: The Latest: 11 new COVID-19 cases in China's lone outbreakChinese officials say 11 more people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in a southwestern city bordering Myanmar that is the scene of China’s current sole active outbreak.
Asia Today: India sees another record rise in virus cases
Read full article: Asia Today: India sees another record rise in virus casesIndia has reported a record daily surge in new coronavirus cases for the second time in four days, while New Delhi, Mumbai and dozens of other cities are imposing curfews to try to slow the soaring infections.
US consults with Japan, South Korea on North Korea approach
Read full article: US consults with Japan, South Korea on North Korea approachNational security adviser Jake Sullivan has consulted with counterparts from Japan and South Korea as the Biden administration settles on its approach for dealing with North Korea.
US eyes additional UN action on N. Korea after missile tests
Read full article: US eyes additional UN action on N. Korea after missile tests(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)WASHINGTON – The Biden administration said Monday it's looking at “additional actions” that the United Nations might take to respond to North Korea’s recent missile tests. “We’re looking at additional actions that we might take,” Thomas-Greenfield said of the U.S. and others Security Council members. Last week, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea in a defiance of U.N. resolutions that ban such launches by North Korea. Some experts say North Korea’s missile launches, the first of their kind in a year, were aimed at applying pressure on the Biden administration. Past short-range missile launches by North Korea have typically drawn U.N. Security Council condemnations, but not fresh sanctions.
Biden addresses coronavirus, North Korea, border crisis and reelection in first news conference
Read full article: Biden addresses coronavirus, North Korea, border crisis and reelection in first news conferenceBut due to the pandemic, the White House limited attendance and only 30 socially distanced chairs for journalists were spread out in the expansive room. “The press conference serves an important purpose: It presents the press an extended opportunity to hold a leader accountable for decisions,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, presidential scholar and professor of communication at the University of Pennsylvania. In less than a week, two mass shootings have rattled the nation and pressure has mounted on the White House to back tougher gun measures. The White House has struggled to blunt a nationwide effort by Republican legislatures to tighten election laws. In a sharp contrast with the previous administration, the Biden White House has exerted extreme message discipline, empowering staff to speak but doing so with caution.
Russian diplomats hand-push trolley over North Korea border
Read full article: Russian diplomats hand-push trolley over North Korea borderIn this image taken from a video released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, a group of Russian diplomats push hand-pushed rail trolley with their children and suitcases to the border with Russia. A group of Russian diplomats and their family members returned to Russia from North Korea on a hand-pushed rail trolley on Thursday because of COVID-19 restrictions in the country, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a Facebook post. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP)MOSCOW – A group of Russian diplomats and their family members returned to Russia from North Korea using a hand-pushed rail trolley on Thursday because the coronavirus pandemic has halted all passenger traffic between the countries, Russia's Foreign Ministry said. They then put their children and luggage onto a rail trolley and pushed it for more than a kilometer (more than half a mile) across the border into Russia. North Korea has claimed to be coronavirus-free, and sealed its borders and halted passenger traffic with other countries.
Kim vows to bolster North Korea's military at party meeting
Read full article: Kim vows to bolster North Korea's military at party meetingA traffic officer stand in attention along a main street of the Central District in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. The state media report Thursday on Kim's speech to the Workers’ Party congress the previous day didn't elaborate. South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers in late November that Kim was worried about President-elect Joe Biden’s expected new approach on North Korea. State media didn’t provide much details on Kim’s economic review. Cheong said North Korea likely didn’t want foreign experts to learn its poor economic performance too easily.
World leaders talking to Biden about the virus, other issues
Read full article: World leaders talking to Biden about the virus, other issuesWorld leaders spoke to President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday about cooperating on the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and other issues, even as President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede complicates the U.S. post-election transition. Kang Min-seok, Moon’s spokesperson, said the leaders also agreed to meet “possibly soon” after Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Trump has constantly complained about the cost of stationing 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea. Morrison said he and Biden during their call made clear their commitment to strengthening the bilateral alliance. __AP writers Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea, Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
North Korea celebrates party anniversary amid economic woes
Read full article: North Korea celebrates party anniversary amid economic woesPeople wearing face masks watch a TV screen during a news program reporting about the ceremony to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the North Korea's ruling Workers' party, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. A part of letters read on the top "A military parade to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the North Korea's ruling Workers' party." (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
North Korea may show new missiles at weekend military parade
Read full article: North Korea may show new missiles at weekend military paradeFILE - In this Oct. 10, 2015, file photo, warheads are paraded during a military parade during celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of North Korea's Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea. For months, North Korea has been relatively uncombative, as leader Kim Jong Un grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, a string of natural disasters and the deepening economic pain from years of tough U.S.-led sanctions. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File)
UN chief: World is living in `shadow of nuclear catastrophe'
Read full article: UN chief: World is living in `shadow of nuclear catastrophe'TANZANIA – U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Friday that the world is living “in the shadow of nuclear catastrophe,” fueled by growing distrust and tensions between the nuclear powers. The U.N. chief told a high-level meeting to commemorate the recent International Day for Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons that progress on ridding the world of nuclear weapons “has stalled and is at risk of backsliding." And he said strains between countries that possess nuclear weapons “have increased nuclear risks.”As examples, Guterres has expressed deep concern at the escalating disputes between the Trump administration and China. And North Korea boasts about its nuclear weapons. “Maintaining nuclear weapons, is clearly, a zero-sum situation, while total abolishment of such weapons, will ensure that humanity prevails,” Marsudi said.
At UN, Trump raps China for virus as US deaths top 200,000
Read full article: At UN, Trump raps China for virus as US deaths top 200,000Beyond criticizing China, Trump took aim at the very foundation of the United Nations by urging other leaders to put their own countries first, a message that echoed his “America First” campaign mantra. Speeches by U.S. presidents are normally a highlight of the annual General Assembly, a premier event on the global diplomatic calendar. “The United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions,” Trump said, without elaborating on what punishment he thought was warranted. The Republican president is running behind Biden in many polls, yet told the U.N. General Assembly that he'd be back next year. Few U.N. member states believe the U.S. has the legal standing to restore the sanctions because Trump withdrew from the agreement.
Trump highlights foreign policy wins as he woos voters
Read full article: Trump highlights foreign policy wins as he woos votersPresident Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in Washington. On some of the most troublesome national security challenges facing America — nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea — Trump has failed to make deals. The White House, for its part, casts Trump's recent flurry of foreign policy activity as evidence that long-sought initiatives are coming to fruition. “He’s not running on his foreign policy,” Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner told White House reporters last week. “If North Korea behaves true to form, then we should expect to see some sort of provocations -- maybe not before but after the election,” Cha said.
Trump highlights foreign policy wins as he woos voters
Read full article: Trump highlights foreign policy wins as he woos votersPresident Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in Washington. On some of the most troublesome national security challenges facing America — nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea — Trump has failed to make deals. The White House, for its part, casts Trump's recent flurry of foreign policy activity as evidence that long-sought initiatives are coming to fruition. “He’s not running on his foreign policy,” Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner told White House reporters last week. “If North Korea behaves true to form, then we should expect to see some sort of provocations -- maybe not before but after the election,” Cha said.
North and South Korea brace for strong typhoon
Read full article: North and South Korea brace for strong typhoonSEOUL Hundreds of flights were canceled in South Korea while North Koreas leader expressed concern about a potential loss of lives and crops as the countries braced for a fast-approaching typhoon forecast as one of the strongest to hit their peninsula this year. South Koreas weather agency said the typhoon will start to affect the mainland at night before making landfall in western North Korea early Thursday. South Korean authorities were also shutting down public parks and evacuating hundreds of fishing boats and other vessels, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said that during a ruling party meeting on Tuesday, the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, called for thorough preparations to minimize casualties and damage from the typhoon. The storm comes weeks after torrential rains caused flooding and massive damage to homes and crops in North Korea, inflicting further pain to an economy ravaged by U.S.-led sanctions over the North's nuclear weapons and border closures amid the pandemic.