South Korea | DD News

April 8, 2026 10:49 AM

North Korea fires ballistic missiles as Pyongyang dismisses Seoul’s diplomacy hopes

North Korea fired several ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, following a separate launch detected a day earlier as Pyongyang doused Seoul's hopes of an easing in tensions. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the unidentified short-range missiles were launched at around 8:50 a.m. (2350 GMT Tuesday) from near Wonsan on the North's east coast. The missiles flew 240 km (150 miles), the JCS said, adding that South Korean and U....

March 24, 2026 9:46 AM

Kim Jong Un says North Korea’s nuclear status is irreversible, threatens South

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would permanently strengthen its nuclear forces and treat South Korea as its most hostile state, as he set out policy priorities in a speech to parliament, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday. Kim said Pyongyang's status as a nuclear-armed state was irreversible and expanding a "self-defensive nuclear deterrent" was essential to national security, regional stability and economic development. He rejected the idea that nuclear disarmament could b...

March 11, 2026 1:39 PM

Hormuz disruption threatens global oil supplies

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy routes, is facing severe disruption as tensions escalate in West Asia. The narrow waterway lies between Iran to the north and the Musandam Peninsula to the south, a territory shared by Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Stretching about 178 kilometres in length and narrowing to roughly 39 kilometres at its tightest point, the strait carries around 20 million barrels of oil each day under normal conditions. That accounts for nearly o...

February 12, 2026 10:31 AM

North Korea’s Kim positioning daughter as successor, Seoul spy agency briefing says

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to be taking steps to consolidate his daughter's position as successor, and there are signs she is providing input on policy matters, South Korean lawmakers said on Thursday, citing a spy agency briefing. South Korea's National Intelligence Agency (NIS) will be closely watching whether the daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, attends an upcoming meeting of the ruling Workers' Party and how she is presented, including whether she takes on any official...

February 2, 2026 12:11 PM

South Korea blanketed by heavy overnight snow

Heavy snow blanketed South Korea overnight on Monday, disrupting the morning commute, with snowfall forecast to continue in eastern and southern parts of the country, the weather agency said. A heavy snow advisory was lifted for Seoul at 4 a.m. (local time), but city officials mobilised snow removal trucks throughout the early morning to spread deicing agents and minimise inconveniences to commuters. The city issued a mobile alert at 6 a.m. to warn of slippery roads due to the overnight snow a...

January 4, 2026 12:46 PM

South Korea’s Lee begins China state visit after North fires missiles

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung began a state visit to China on Sunday, hoping to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula hours after rival North Korea launched ballistic missiles. The visit, Lee's first to China since taking office in June, comes amid heightened global tensions after Pyongyang's aggressive display, on the heels of the U.S. attack on Venezuela. Lee is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the trip for their second meeting in just two months, an unusually shor...

November 16, 2025 9:46 AM

Hardeep Singh Puri visits Hanwha Ocean shipyard in South Korea, explores collaboration in vessel construction

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday visited the shipbuilding facilities of Hanwha Ocean in Geoje, South Korea, as part of his three-day official visit aimed at strengthening maritime cooperation between the two countries. The visit is part of India’s broader Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which seeks to expand the nation’s commercial fleet, upgrade domestic shipbuilding capacity and improve global competitiveness in maritime sectors. At the Hanwha ...

November 11, 2025 10:22 AM

Trump’s deal with South Korea bogged down in details over submarine

Two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korea's Lee Jae Myung met and announced they had resolved months of negotiations over tariffs and security issues, the two sides have yet to release any agreement on paper. South Korean officials say the delay appears to centre on discussions over their request for Washington's blessing to build a nuclear-powered submarine, which Lee raised publicly when he met Trump on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific forum in South Korea last month. After...

November 7, 2025 1:19 PM

North Korea fires ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Friday towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea and Japan said, following missile launches in the past two weeks and after U.S. President Donald Trump's renewed invitation for talks with Pyongyang. South Korea's military said the suspected short-range ballistic missile was launched from an area in North Korea's northwest region near the Chinese border, travelling a distance of about 700 km (435 miles). South Korean and U.S. surveillance systems d...

November 6, 2025 5:53 PM

South Korea officials question feasibility of building nuclear submarine in US shipyard

The South Korean-owned Philly Shipyard in the United States does not currently have the capability to build a nuclear-powered submarine, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said on Thursday during a parliamentary hearing. His remarks come after U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media last week that he had given approval for South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine and that it would be built in the Philadelphia shipyard. Trump posted the comment on his Truth Social platform after Sout...