Kim Jong Un

North Korean State Commission of Quality Management staff in protective gear carries a disinfectant spray can as personnel check the health of travelers and inspect goods delivered via the borders at the Pyongyang Airport in North Korea, on Feb. 1.

North Korea Executed Coronavirus Rule-Breaker, Says South Korean Intelligence

3:41pm November 27, 2020

by Anthony Kuhn

South Korean lawmakers say intelligence officials briefed them on the North's tough pandemic rules, including a Pyongyang lockdown and an execution of an official caught breaking restrictions.

People at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul watch a news program Friday showing a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who said he was sorry over the killing of a South Korean fisheries official near the two countries' disputed sea boundary.

World News

Kim Jong Un Says He's Sorry That North Korean Troops Killed A South Korean Man

1:01pm September 25, 2020

by Anthony Kuhn

Pyongyang says an unidentified man was found in North Korean waters and that he murmured he was from South Korea but then stopped responding to soldiers' questions and appeared to try to flee.

Queue Listen Now

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 2, 2019.

World News

Kim Yo Jong, Sister Of North Korea's Ruler, Rises Through Ranks With Tough Rhetoric

12:35pm July 19, 2020

by Anthony Kuhn

Her political star has risen since Kim Jong Un took power in 2011, leading to speculation that she could one day become the country's first female leader — if North Korea's patriarchy would allow it.

Queue Listen Now

A banner showing a photo of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, was displayed to denounce policies of Moon on North Korea in Seoul, South Korea.

World News

North Korea Says It Will Sever Contact With South Korea And Will Treat It As 'Enemy'

5:39pm June 09, 2020

by Austin Horn

The move is the latest sign of deterioration in relations between North and South Korea. On Tuesday, North Korean officials did not answer a routine daily call from the South.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been the subject of health speculation in recent days.

World News

'No Unusual Signs' That Kim Jong Un's Health Is In Danger, South Korea Says

3:38pm April 21, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

The North Korean leader's public absence and reports of a recent surgery have prompted a flurry of rumors about his health. But South Korean officials said Tuesday, "There is nothing we can confirm."

Satellite imagery shows new roads under construction at North Korea's Sohae Satellite Launching Station.

North Korea Seen Expanding Rocket Launch Facility It Once Promised To Dismantle

6:00pm March 27, 2020

by Geoff Brumfiel

Satellite imagery shared exclusively with NPR suggests that North Korea is moving ahead with plans to expand its capabilities.

A man watches TV news at a railroad station on Jan. 1 in Seoul, South Korea. While waiting for North Korea's leader to address his nuclear-weapons plans, the program featured file footage of a North Korean missile test.

World News

North Korea's Kim Jong Un Says He Is No Longer Bound By Nuclear Missile Moratorium

10:51pm December 31, 2019

by Anthony Kuhn

He stopped short of saying he was breaking off nuclear negotiations with the U.S. President Trump has repeatedly touted the testing moratorium as a political victory.

President Trump told reporters he would handle whatever "present" North Korea's Kim Jong Un plans to send.

Trump Downplays Threat Of 'Gift' From North Korea: Maybe It's A 'Beautiful Vase'

1:23pm December 24, 2019

by Miles Parks

North Korea has threatened to send a "Christmas present" for the United States if sanctions aren't eased by the end of the year. Trump says he isn't worried about it.

John Bolton after a meeting in Minsk, Belarus, in late August, nearly two weeks before his ouster as President Trump's national security adviser.

Bolton: Trump Administration Could Be Making 'Big Mistake' On North Korea

8:49pm December 19, 2019

In an exclusive interview with NPR, former Ambassador John Bolton criticized his ex-boss' strategy, saying "there's no serious chance" North Korea will voluntarily give up its nuclear weapons program.

Pedestrians shield themselves from wind and rain brought by Typhoon Lingling Saturday, in Pyongyang, North Korea.

World News

Typhoon Lingling Makes Landfall In North Korea After Wreaking Havoc In South Korea

7:43pm September 07, 2019

by Shannon Van Sant

The storm killed at least three people in South Korea and caused widespread power outages.