North Korea
Kim Jong-un ‘training’ his young daughter to be his successor
Believed to be about 11 years old, Kim Ju-ae, was first revealed by her father in November 2022 and has since been mingling with top generals at major military events.
- by Nicola Smith
Latest
Socceroos land difficult World Cup qualifying group with Japan, Saudi Arabia
Graham Arnold’s side avoided the logistical nightmare of a trip to North Korea, but have been drawn to face two very familiar opponents for the third consecutive World Cup qualifying cycle.
- by Vince Rugari
Putin and Kim getting behind the wheel of new ‘alliance’
The Russian president’s first visit to North Korea in 24 years is being watched closely by Seoul and Washington.
- by Kim Tong-Hyung
Analysis
North Korea diplomacy
Russia needs North Korean weapons, but there is more to Putin’s rare visit
Kim has made two trips to Russia’s Far East since 2019. Putin is now expected to arrive in North Korea on Tuesday for the first time since 2000.
- by The Economist
Explainer
World politics
Why is North Korea sending trash balloons into the South?
K-pop is blasting into North Korea once more as bizarre tactics ratchet up tensions on the peninsula. We explore what’s behind this “tit-for-tat” in an Explainer updated from earlier this year.
- by Angus Holland and Jackson Graham
Kim Jong-un rips up plan to reunify Korea, raising fears of all-out war
Seasoned North Korea experts warn Kim is not just experiencing a fit of pique, but has signalled an unprecedented shift in ideology.
- by Nicola Smith
Opinion
Religion
Why is Christian persecution often met with indifference?
A charity has reported a sevenfold increase in attacks globally on Christian churches, schools and hospitals in the past year – but it gets little attention in the West.
- by Barney Zwartz
Putin willing to visit Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang soon, North Korea says
It would be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first trip to North Korea in more than two decades, after he visited Kim Jong-il – current leader Kim Jong-un’s father – in 2000.
- by Kim Tong-Hyung
China’s population shrinks again as births fall to record low
Deaths, however, rose to 11.1 million, almost 700,000 more than the previous year and the highest since 1960.
- by James Mayger
North Korea warns war inevitable, builds up spy satellites and nuclear arsenal
Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has vowed North Korea will launch three new spy satellites, build military drones and boost its nuclear arsenal in 2024.
- by Cynthia Kim, Josh Smith and Jack Kim
Kim’s IT army: How North Koreans are duping tech companies into hiring them
Landing a software development job overseas to secretly earn foreign currency for the isolated country demands highly creative strategies – but comes with risks for the regime.
- by James Pearson