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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (center) walks with officials during an inspection of the Korean People's Army
Image: KCNA/REUTERSImage: KCNA/REUTERS

North Korea

Under its totalitarian leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea is mostly ostracized from the international community. The country and its neighbor South Korea are in constant conflict, which occasionally heats up.

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News

December 14, 2024

Ukraine updates: North Koreans in action in Kursk, Kyiv says

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Kim Jong Un waves in an official photo on November 15

How North Korea responded to South's political turmoil

How North Korea responded to South's political turmoil

Pyongyang's propagandists have been unusually slow in responding to the political upheaval in South Korea.
PoliticsDecember 12, 2024
National Assembly employees spray a fire extinguisher towards soldiers at the National Assembly in Seoul

South Korea: What's next after Yoon's martial law fiasco?

South Korea: What's next after Yoon's martial law fiasco?

Embattled South Korean leader Yoon faces impeachment after his miscalculated declaration of martial law backfired.
PoliticsDecember 4, 2024
North Korean soldiers march during a mass military parade in Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square to celebrate 100 years since the birth of North Korean founder, Kim Il Sung on April 15, 2012

How dangerous is North Korea's war rhetoric?

How dangerous is North Korea's war rhetoric?

North Korea, buoyed by ties with Russia, remains wary of its military inferiority to South Korea, the US and Japan.
PoliticsNovember 19, 2024
A TV screen shows a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang, during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea.

Kyiv: North Korean troops already fighting for Russia

Kyiv: North Korean troops already fighting for Russia

Ukraine's government says that North Korean soldiers who were sent to Russia have already started to fight for Moscow.
ConflictsNovember 15, 202403:09 min
South Korean and US army troops take part in a UFS (Ulchi Freedom Shield) Drill at Seungjin Live fire range in Paju, South Korea

Trump's comeback fuels nuclear debate in South Korea

Trump's comeback fuels nuclear debate in South Korea

Many in Seoul are worried Donald Trump's return to the White House means Washington is no longer a reliable partner.
PoliticsNovember 14, 2024
North Korean soldiers salute at a parade

Will Russia exposure leave North Korean troops wanting more?

Will Russia exposure leave North Korean troops wanting more?

Thousands of North Koreans are reportedly being sent to Russia, marking their first contact with the outside world.
ConflictsNovember 11, 2024
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

North Korea's U20s women celebrate their success

Why is North Korea's women's football team so good

North Korea's young women have won both the U17 and U20 soccer World Cup. Why is the isolated state so good at the game?
SportsNovember 6, 2024
Rows of North Korean soldiers shown on a TV screen at Seoul Railway Station

Can the US and its allies monitor North Korea sanctions?

The US and several of its allies hope to halt illegal transfers to North Korea as Moscow moves closer to Pyongyang.
ConflictsOctober 24, 2024
South Korean army soldiers patrol along the barbed-wire fence in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea

North-South Korea flare-up: Why is it alarming?

The situation in North Korea is "unstable" and predicting the regime's actions has become complicated, say analysts.
PoliticsOctober 16, 2024
Kim and Putin shake hands during Kim's visit to Russia in September 2023

North Korea: Why is Kim Jong Un eager to welcome Putin?

With Vladimir Putin's visit, he and Kim Jong Un want to position themselves as powerful allies against the US dominance.
PoliticsJune 18, 2024
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un

North Korean defectors repatriated by China face persecution

Thousands of North Koreans who made the perilous journey out of their homeland have been sent back by China.
PoliticsMay 23, 2024
A performance at a North Korean stadium in honor of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel

South Korea and Cuba establish ties, rattling North Korea

Cuba has reportedly been described as a "traitor nation" in the North over Seoul's diplomatic mission in Havana.
ConflictsMarch 7, 2024
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