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North Korea

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a country in East Asia, located in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering South Korea and China. Its capital, Pyongyang, is the country's largest city by both land area and population. It is a single-party state led by the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), and governed by Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un since 2012. It has a population of 24,052,231 (UN-assisted DPRK census 2008) made up of Koreans and a smaller Chinese minority. Japan 'opened' Korea in 1876 and annexed it in 1910. The Republic of Korea (ROK) was founded with US support in the south in August 1948 and the Soviet-backed Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the north in September that year.

Capital

Pyongyang

Head of State

Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un

Head of Government

Premier Kim Tok-hun

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (left) takes a selfie with Chinese President Xi Jinping using a Xiaomi smartphone following a state dinner in Beijing, China, on January 5. Photo: EPA/Yonhap/Pool

Diplomacy

Editorial | For South Korea to reset relations with China, it must withstand US pressure

The South Korean president’s visit to China was a sign of a more pragmatic approach that departs from that of his US-leaning predecessor.

5 hours ago

North Korea nuclear crisis

Opinion | Maduro’s fate in Venezuela hardens North Korea’s nuclear resolve

9 Jan 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

US-Venezuela conflict

North Korea’s Kim set to grab nuclear security blanket after Venezuela operation

5 minutes agovideocam

China-North Korea relations

China’s role in Korean peninsula stability tested amid nuclear submarine moves

Seoul’s calls for Chinese mediation seen to underscore Beijing’s central role in preserving stability between two Koreas.

8 Jan 2026 - 11:04AMvideocam

North Korea nuclear crisis

Opinion | As denuclearisation stalls, China will shape stability on Korean peninsula

South Korean leader’s Beijing visit makes clear need to manage inter-Korean tensions and establish stability en route to denuclearisation.

8 Jan 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

China-South Korea relations

Beijing urges Seoul to be ‘patient’ over Pyongyang nuclear talks

President Lee Jae Myung says he asked his Chinese counterpart to act as a mediator to help restart talks about Pyongyang’s arsenal.

7 Jan 2026 - 5:47PMvideocam

China-South Korea relations

Lee’s bid for South Korea-China reset can only go so far

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s success in improving relations with China means little when it comes to the issue of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.

7 Jan 2026 - 5:00PM

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung takes a selfie including China’s President Xi Jinping. (Photo: AFP)

US-Venezuela conflict

The Maduro effect: US raid accelerates Asia’s drift away from Washington

Cambodia, Laos and North Korea are expected to tighten their embrace of Moscow and Beijing amid growing distrust of the US.

7 Jan 2026 - 7:16PMvideocam

China-South Korea relations

Li Qiang and Lee Jae Myung back free trade and multilateralism in Beijing talks

In meeting with visiting South Korean president, Chinese premier calls for cooperation in AI, new energy and high-end manufacturing.

6 Jan 2026 - 8:19PMvideocam

China-South Korea relations

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urges South Korea to ‘make correct strategic choices’

Appeal to President Lee Jae Myung comes as Seoul is looking to ‘open a new chapter’ in the relationship after years of tension.

5 Jan 2026 - 10:59PMvideocam

South Korea

North Korea doubles down with missile test, slams ‘US hegemony’ over Maduro

The test also appears to indicate Pyongyang’s objection to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Beijing.

5 Jan 2026 - 5:30PMvideocam

Kim Jong-un

North Korea links Sunday’s missile launch to ‘recent geopolitical crisis’

Kim Jong-un, who denounced the US capture of Venezuela’s Maduro, said achievements have been made in preparing forces ‘for an actual war’.

5 Jan 2026 - 8:05AM

China-South Korea relations

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung lands in Beijing with 200-strong delegation

State visit unfolds amid turbulent global landscape where South Korea must delicately navigate US-China rivalry and China-Japan tensions.

5 Jan 2026 - 6:00AMvideocam

South Korea

North Korea fires missiles ahead of major party congress

The projectiles, launched off the North Korean east coast, are believed to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

4 Jan 2026 - 1:44PMvideocam

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) visits a military factory in this photo released on Sunday. Photo: KCNA/Reuters

China-South Korea relations

China conflict won’t benefit South Korea, Lee says ahead of state visit

South Korean leader, who is expected to meet Xi Jinping on Monday, also tells CCTV interview he respects one-China principle.

5 Jan 2026 - 12:44PMvideocam

Lee Jae-myung is due to arrive in China on Sunday for a four-day state visit. Photo: dpa

China-South Korea relations

South Korea’s Lee to ‘push denuclearisation, end to culture ban’ in China

Four-day trip starting on Sunday will make Lee Jae-myung the first sitting South Korean president to visit since 2019.

2 Jan 2026 - 11:38PMvideocam

Kim Jong-un

‘More than a beloved child’: palace visit renews debate on Pyongyang succession

State media has released images of the first recorded visit of Kim Ju-ae, the teen daughter of Kim Jong-un, to the country’s most sacred site.

2 Jan 2026 - 12:45PMvideocam

Kim Jong-un

Why North Korea’s Kim is hailing ‘invincible’ Russia ties in new year message

Kim praised North Korean troops fighting in the Ukraine war for their unwavering bravery for the sake of ‘the brotherly Russian people’.

7 Jan 2026 - 2:36PMvideocam

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un waving during an art performance celebrating the new year at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Thursday. Photo: EPA/KCNA

South Korea

Ramen, drinks, fan zones: how North Korea clones K-culture while hating Seoul

From food to photo booths, Pyongyang is imitating South Korean culture through what analysts call ‘subjective adaptation’.

1 Jan 2026 - 12:24PM

China-South Korea relations

South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung to visit China on economic and nuclear mission

The pragmatic president is seeking to balance relations with Beijing while keeping Washington onside.

30 Dec 2025 - 7:26PMvideocam

Korean peninsula

North Korea tests long-range cruise missiles after nuclear submarine progress

Days after unveiling a near-complete hull of a nuclear-powered submarine, North Korea shares photos of missiles being fired and hitting a target.

29 Dec 2025 - 4:56PM

A North Korean long-range strategic cruise missile hitting its target on Sunday. Photo: KCNA via AFP

China-South Korea relations

South Korean president set to visit China next month, with North Korea on agenda

Exchange of visits by two countries’ leaders within months underscores their commitment to deepening ties, analysts say.

27 Dec 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

South Korea

‘Maximum deterrence’: why North Korea just revealed its new nuclear submarine

The unprecedented transparency from the normally secretive country shows a shift in North Korean defence strategy, analysts say.

26 Dec 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

Donald Trump

Jimmy Kimmel takes aim at Trump in ‘alternative Christmas message’ to UK

Talk show host and Trump foe Kimmel tells UK TV that ‘tyranny is booming’ in the US.

26 Dec 2025 - 1:43PMvideocam

Diplomacy

Opinion | Seoul holds the key to US-North Korea denuclearisation talks

South Korea is taking steps to cool tensions – from moving to opening joint military drills to consultations to easing up on immediate denuclearisation demands.

25 Dec 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

South Korea

US to grant Seoul exception on nuclear submarine fuel supply

Seoul to formalise right to build nuclear-powered submarines via Aukus-style waiver requiring approval from Trump and US Congress.

24 Dec 2025 - 6:34PM

US Navy officers stand aboard a Virginia-class fast-attack submarine in Western Australia in February. Photo: AFP

South Korea

South Korean webtoon slammed for heroine resembling Kim Jong-un’s daughter Ju-ae

Critics say the romantic comedy ‘Princess Goes to School’ risks softening perceptions of North Korea’s regime.

24 Dec 2025 - 4:53PMvideocam

Year in Review

SCMP Plus Year in Review 2025: China

As the year comes to a close, SCMP Plus highlights the biggest China-related stories of the year.

23 Dec 2025 - 4:00PM

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North Korea

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Editorial | For South Korea to reset relations with China, it must withstand US pressure

The South Korean president’s visit to China was a sign of a more pragmatic approach that departs from that of his US-leaning predecessor.

Opinion | Maduro’s fate in Venezuela hardens North Korea’s nuclear resolve

North Korea’s Kim set to grab nuclear security blanket after Venezuela operation

China’s role in Korean peninsula stability tested amid nuclear submarine moves

Seoul’s calls for Chinese mediation seen to underscore Beijing’s central role in preserving stability between two Koreas.

Opinion | As denuclearisation stalls, China will shape stability on Korean peninsula

South Korean leader’s Beijing visit makes clear need to manage inter-Korean tensions and establish stability en route to denuclearisation.

Beijing urges Seoul to be ‘patient’ over Pyongyang nuclear talks

President Lee Jae Myung says he asked his Chinese counterpart to act as a mediator to help restart talks about Pyongyang’s arsenal.

Lee’s bid for South Korea-China reset can only go so far

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s success in improving relations with China means little when it comes to the issue of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.

The Maduro effect: US raid accelerates Asia’s drift away from Washington

Cambodia, Laos and North Korea are expected to tighten their embrace of Moscow and Beijing amid growing distrust of the US.

Li Qiang and Lee Jae Myung back free trade and multilateralism in Beijing talks

In meeting with visiting South Korean president, Chinese premier calls for cooperation in AI, new energy and high-end manufacturing.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urges South Korea to ‘make correct strategic choices’

Appeal to President Lee Jae Myung comes as Seoul is looking to ‘open a new chapter’ in the relationship after years of tension.

North Korea doubles down with missile test, slams ‘US hegemony’ over Maduro

The test also appears to indicate Pyongyang’s objection to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Beijing.

North Korea links Sunday’s missile launch to ‘recent geopolitical crisis’

Kim Jong-un, who denounced the US capture of Venezuela’s Maduro, said achievements have been made in preparing forces ‘for an actual war’.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung lands in Beijing with 200-strong delegation

State visit unfolds amid turbulent global landscape where South Korea must delicately navigate US-China rivalry and China-Japan tensions.

North Korea fires missiles ahead of major party congress

The projectiles, launched off the North Korean east coast, are believed to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

China conflict won’t benefit South Korea, Lee says ahead of state visit

South Korean leader, who is expected to meet Xi Jinping on Monday, also tells CCTV interview he respects one-China principle.

South Korea’s Lee to ‘push denuclearisation, end to culture ban’ in China

Four-day trip starting on Sunday will make Lee Jae-myung the first sitting South Korean president to visit since 2019.

‘More than a beloved child’: palace visit renews debate on Pyongyang succession

State media has released images of the first recorded visit of Kim Ju-ae, the teen daughter of Kim Jong-un, to the country’s most sacred site.

Why North Korea’s Kim is hailing ‘invincible’ Russia ties in new year message

Kim praised North Korean troops fighting in the Ukraine war for their unwavering bravery for the sake of ‘the brotherly Russian people’.

Ramen, drinks, fan zones: how North Korea clones K-culture while hating Seoul

From food to photo booths, Pyongyang is imitating South Korean culture through what analysts call ‘subjective adaptation’.

South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung to visit China on economic and nuclear mission

The pragmatic president is seeking to balance relations with Beijing while keeping Washington onside.

North Korea tests long-range cruise missiles after nuclear submarine progress

Days after unveiling a near-complete hull of a nuclear-powered submarine, North Korea shares photos of missiles being fired and hitting a target.

South Korean president set to visit China next month, with North Korea on agenda

Exchange of visits by two countries’ leaders within months underscores their commitment to deepening ties, analysts say.

‘Maximum deterrence’: why North Korea just revealed its new nuclear submarine

The unprecedented transparency from the normally secretive country shows a shift in North Korean defence strategy, analysts say.

Jimmy Kimmel takes aim at Trump in ‘alternative Christmas message’ to UK

Talk show host and Trump foe Kimmel tells UK TV that ‘tyranny is booming’ in the US.

Opinion | Seoul holds the key to US-North Korea denuclearisation talks

South Korea is taking steps to cool tensions – from moving to opening joint military drills to consultations to easing up on immediate denuclearisation demands.

US to grant Seoul exception on nuclear submarine fuel supply

Seoul to formalise right to build nuclear-powered submarines via Aukus-style waiver requiring approval from Trump and US Congress.

South Korean webtoon slammed for heroine resembling Kim Jong-un’s daughter Ju-ae

Critics say the romantic comedy ‘Princess Goes to School’ risks softening perceptions of North Korea’s regime.

SCMP Plus Year in Review 2025: China

As the year comes to a close, SCMP Plus highlights the biggest China-related stories of the year.

Editorial | For South Korea to reset relations with China, it must withstand US pressure