North Korea | DD News

October 23, 2025 9:56 AM

North Korea tested ‘cutting-edge’ weapons system on Wednesday, KCNA reports

North Korea said it successfully tested "a new cutting-edge weapons system" involving hypersonic projectiles on Wednesday as part of a defence program to enhance strategic deterrence against enemies. Two hypersonic projectiles were launched from a region near the capital, Pyongyang, and hit a target inland in the country's northeast, state news agency KCNA reported on Thursday. KCNA did not mention that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was present for the test. North Korea has been developing h...

October 7, 2025 10:44 AM

China Premier Li Qiang to visit North Korea for ruling party anniversary

Chinese Premier Li Qiang will lead a Chinese delegation to North Korea to participate in celebrations of the 80th anniversary of its ruling party on Friday, North Korean state media KCNA reported. China's foreign ministry confirmed Li's visit from October 9 to 11 in a separate announcement on Tuesday and said China is willing to take the opportunity to strengthen communication and deepen partnerships with North Korea. A delegation from Russia's United Russia party, led by chairman Dmitry Medve...

October 5, 2025 10:29 AM

North Korea’s Kim says country will develop additional military measures, state media reports

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Pyongyang has allocated strategic assets to respond to the buildup of U.S. military forces in the south and vowed to develop additional military measures, the state media KCNA reported on Sunday. "In direct proportion to the buildup of U.S. forces in Korea, our strategic interest in the region has also increased, and we have accordingly allocated special assets to key targets of interest," Kim said at a military exhibition event ahead of the 80th founding an...

September 30, 2025 6:34 PM

South Korea’s Lee, outgoing Japan PM Ishiba hold talks on global trade, North Korea

The leaders of South Korea and Japan agreed on Tuesday to work together to tackle global trade turmoil while reaffirming their commitment to denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula, a South Korean presidential spokesperson said. President Lee Jae Myung hosted Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on a goodwill visit to highlight the neighbours' commitment to improve once-frosty ties and cooperate more closely on trade. "The two leaders shared the view that ... Korea and Japan, as nei...

September 11, 2025 12:25 PM

North Korea leader firming up status of daughter as successor, Seoul spy agency says

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to have solidified the status of his daughter Kim Ju Ae as his likely successor after she accompanied him on a visit to China, South Korean lawmakers said on Thursday, citing the country's spy agency. Ju Ae stayed at the North Korean embassy and avoided the public spotlight during the Beijing visit, but just being on the overseas trip with her father was "enough to build a narrative" as the regime's likely successor, said Lee Seong-kweun, a lawmaker on So...

September 3, 2025 10:25 AM

‘Peace or War’: China’s Xi hosts massive military parade with Putin and Kim

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned the world was facing a choice between peace or war as he held his country's largest-ever military parade on Wednesday, flanked by Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. The lavish event to mark 80 years since Japan's defeat at the end of World War Two has been largely shunned by Western leaders, with Putin and Kim - pariahs in the West due to the Ukraine war and Kim's nuclear ambitions - the guests of honour. Designed to project China's milit...

August 14, 2025 12:49 PM

North Korea says South Korea’s peace overtures a ‘pipedream’

The North Korean leader's powerful sister said on Thursday that the country has never taken down propaganda loudspeakers and will not do so, calling South Korea's belief that Pyongyang was responding to its peace overtures a "pipedream." Kim Yo Jong, who is a senior official in the North's ruling Workers' Party, also said adjustments made to the plan for annual joint military drills by South Korea and the U.S.were a "futile" move that did not change the allies' hostile intent. Kim, who officia...

June 26, 2025 2:16 PM

North Korea may send more troops to Russia in July or August for Ukraine war, Seoul says

North Korea may deploy additional troops to Russia to fight in the war against Ukraine in July or August and Pyongyang is continuing to supply arms to Russia, South Korean lawmakers said on Thursday, citing a briefing by the intelligence agency. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) believes Russia may be readying to mount a large-scale assault against Ukraine in July or August, South Korean member of parliament Lee Seong-kweun told reporters after the closed-door briefing. "The timing of th...

April 28, 2025 10:46 AM

North Korea confirms troop deployment to assist Russia in Ukraine conflict

North Korea confirmed for the first time on Monday that it had sent troops to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. The North Korean military referred to their involvement as a "sacred mission" designed to strengthen the ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. According to the state-run KCNA news agency, North Korean soldiers helped Russian forces "completely liberate" the Kursk border region, following an order from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This admission comes just days after Russian...

March 10, 2025 4:48 PM

North Korea fires missiles after slamming US-South Korea drills

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles on Monday, hours after condemning the South Korean and U.S. militaries for launching drills that Pyongyang called a "dangerous provocative act" that risked accidentally sparking a confrontation. South Korea's military said the missiles were fired from North Korea's western region toward the Yellow Sea. The launch was the first reported ballistic missile test since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January. The missiles were believed to be ...