North Korea’s ruling party touted nuclear advances as it re-elected Kim Jong Un to the top post of general secretary, state media said on Monday, during a rare national congress. Thousands of party elites have packed the capital Pyongyang for a once-in-five-years summit of the ruling Workers’ Party, a gathering that directs state efforts on everything from diplomacy to war planning. The congress offers a rare glimpse into the political workings of reclusive North Korea, and is widely seen as ...

Extra! Extra! News from North Korea now more freely available but are South Koreans reading it?  phnompenhpost.com

The Ninth Congress of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea decided that Kim Jong Un would continue to serve as the general secretary of the group.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivered a triumphant speech at a rare national party congress, celebrating the country's 'great successes' despite challenges, reflecting the isolated regime's growing confidence.

The sister of North Korea's leader has stated that South Korea's expression of regret over drone incidents was sensible but ultimately inadequate.

Investigators have requested an arrest warrant for a graduate student suspected of being behind recent drone flights into North Korea.

North Korea is actively promoting a ski resort in its eastern region, inviting foreign tourists to visit the facility.

North Korean leader deploys 50 new rocket launchers ahead of major party congress  Associated Press News

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Thursday she "highly appreciates" South Korea's pledge to prevent a recurrence of drone incursions into the North, vowing to step up the country's vigilance along the border with the South. Kim Yo-jong, a party vice department director, issued the statement via the Korean Central News Agency a day after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young expressed "regret" over drone incursions into the North and announced a series of measures aimed

Remembering the Yangon Barmaid Who Confronted a North Korean Assassin  The Irrawaddy

North Korea is holding a delegate ceremony, signaling the imminent 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam utilized by North Korea to generate funds for its nuclear weapons program, highlighting illicit financial strategies.

A North Korean defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam that helps fund the country's nuclear weapons program.

The US has the most expensive military in the world. Tajh Payne/US Navy via Getty Images The International Institute for Strategic Studies compiled data about the world's military budgets. The top militaries spend hundreds of billions of dollars on defense, with the US leading worldwide. President Donald Trump has proposed increasing annual defense spending to $1.5 trillion. The US has the world's most expensive military, spending nearly $1 trillion on defense each year. That's roughly four times China's reported defense budget, the next largest. From spending on nuclear technology to advanced aircraft and warships, the world's top militaries allocate hundreds of billions of dollars each year to stay ahead. In some countries, big-ticket items such as naval assets or technologically advanced aircraft or missiles account for the bulk of military spending, while others devote large sums to maintaining large conscription troop systems. Ultimately, military spending varies by country depending on location and interests, Gian Gentile, a retired US Army colonel and senior historian at RAND, told Business Insider. Some countries prioritize homeland defense while others value overmatch and far-reaching power projection. "The US spends a lot on more sophisticated, extremely precise weapon systems," he said. A military's budget can be measured either as a total amount or as a share of its country's GDP, reflecting the burden on its economy. Worldwide, countries spent an average of 2.4% of their GDP on defense in 2024. Wartime spending as a share of GDP typically rises, putting strain on the civilian economy, said Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ukraine in 2024, for example, devoted over 15% of its GDP to its military, the highest share globally. Spending statistics help paint a picture of defense priorities, but they don't always translate into readiness for conflict. "Readiness is very expensive, and perishable," Cancian said. A country's on-paper investment in its defense systems doesn't always translate directly into military capability, he added. Training and maintenance are often overlooked in analyses of spending on equipment and technologies. A particularly significant cost when it comes to technologically advanced aircraft, for instance, is maintenance and sustainment. Still, looking at military budgets can reveal how much capital each country relies on to defend itself. Last year, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, released its Military Balance report, which included data on nearly every country's defense budget based on each's reported 2024 figures. The report includes each country's total budget (in US dollars), per-capita figures, and defense budget as a share of GDP. Some countries, such as North Korea, Libya, Syria, Cuba, and Afghanistan, did not publicly report their defense budgets. These are the 30 countries that spend the most on their military, ranked by the size of their defense budgets. 30. Qatar KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images Defense budget: $9.66 billion Defense budget per capita: $3,785 Percentage of GDP: 4.36% 29. Norway Yauhen Yerchak/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Defense budget: $9.79 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,776 Percentage of GDP: 1.94% 28. Mexico Victoria Razo / AFP Defense budget: $10.19 billion Defense budget per capita: $78 Percentage of GDP: 0.55% 27. Indonesia BAY ISMOYO / AFP Defense budget: $10.93 billion Defense budget per capita: $39 Percentage of GDP: 0.78% 26. Sweden Leon Neal/Getty Images Defense budget: $12.25 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,157 Percentage of GDP: 2.01% 25. Iraq Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP Defense budget: $12.68 billion Defense budget per capita: $301 Percentage of GDP: 4.8% 24. Turkey Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images Defense budget: $14.27 billion Defense budget per capita: $170 Percentage of GDP: 1.06% 23. Singapore ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images Defense budget: $15.17 billion Defense budget per capita: $2,517 Percentage of GDP: 2.86% 22. Taiwan I-Hwa Cheng / AFP Defense budget: $18.86 billion Defense budget per capita: $799 Percentage of GDP: 2.43% 21. Spain picture alliance/dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images Defense budget: $19.44 billion Defense budget per capita: $411 Percentage of GDP: 1.12% 20. Algeria NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images Defense budget: $21.4 billion Defense budget per capita: $455 Percentage of GDP: 8.23% 19. United Arab Emirates VCG/VCG via Getty Images Defense budget: $22.27 billion Defense budget per capita: $2,220 Percentage of GDP: 4.09% 18. The Netherlands Remko de Waal / ANP / AFP Defense budget: $23.61 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,328 Percentage of GDP: 1.94% 17. Brazil Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images Defense budget: $24.4 billion Defense budget per capita: $111 Percentage of GDP: 1.11% 16. Canada Artur Widak/NurPhoto Defense budget: $27 billion Defense budget per capita: $696 Percentage of GDP: 1.22% 15. Poland Aleksander Kalka/NurPhoto Defense budget: $28 billion Defense budget per capita: $723 Percentage of GDP: 3.25% 14. Ukraine Tetiana DZHAFAROVA / AFP Defense budget: $28.41 billion Defense budget per capita: $797 Percentage of GDP: 15.43% 13. Israel Elke Scholiers/Getty Images Defense budget: $33.75 billion Defense budget per capita: $3,589 Percentage of GDP: 6.39% 12. Italy Antonio Masiello/Getty Images Defense budget: $35.23 billion Defense budget per capita: $578 Percentage of GDP: 1.48% 11. Australia Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images Defense budget: $36.40 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,360 Percentage of GDP: 2.02% 10. South Korea Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Defense budget: $43.88 billion Defense budget per capita: $842 Percentage of GDP: 2.35% 9. Japan JIJI Press / AFP Defense budget: $53.01 billion Defense budget per capita: $430 Percentage of GDP: 1.3% 8. France Philippe Magoni / POOL / AFP Defense budget: $64.03 billion Defense budget per capita: $937 Percentage of GDP: 2.02% 7. Saudi Arabia BANDAR ALDANDANI/AFP via Getty Images Defense budget: $71.73 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,963 Percentage of GDP: 6.52% 6. India Roslan RAHMAN / AFP Defense budget: $74.36 billion Defense budget per capita: $53 Percentage of GDP: 1.91% 5. United Kingdom Owen Humphreys - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images Defense budget: $81.06 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,184 Percentage of GDP: 2.26% 4. Germany Michaela Stache / AFP Defense budget: $85.98 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,022 Percentage of GDP: 1.83% 3. Russia VCG/VCG via Getty Images Defense budget: $120.32 billion Defense budget per capita: $854 Percentage of GDP: 5.51% 2. China Greg Baker / AFP Defense budget: $234.98 billion Defense budget per capita: $166 Percentage of GDP: 1.29% 1. United States Mario Tama/Getty Images Defense budget: $967.96 billion Defense budget per capita: $2,831 Percentage of GDP: 3.32% Read the original article on Business Insider

North Korean media reported that Kim Jong Un attended the completion ceremony for new housing in Pyongyang, emphasizing the achievement of a 50,000-unit housing goal ahead of the upcoming Workers' Party Congress.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam that North Korea is allegedly using to generate funds for its nuclear weapons program.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam that North Korea is allegedly using to fund its nuclear weapons program.

A defector reveals details of a remote-work scam orchestrated by North Korea, which uses illicit earnings to finance its nuclear weapons program.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam being used by North Korea to fund its nuclear weapons program.

A defector reveals how North Korea is using remote work scams to generate funds for its nuclear weapons program.

A Defector Explains the Remote-Work Scam Helping North Korea Pay for Nukes  The Wall Street Journal

A Defector Explains the Remote-Work Scam Helping North Korea Pay for Nukes  The Wall Street Journal

A Defector Explains the Remote-Work Scam Helping North Korea Pay for Nukes  The Wall Street Journal

A defector reveals how North Korea is using remote-work scams to generate revenue for its nuclear weapons program, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

North Korea has provided new apartments to the families of soldiers who died fighting for Russia, with state media showing Kim Jong Un and his daughter touring the residences.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has opened a new housing district in Pyongyang, reportedly for the families of fallen soldiers, according to state media.

North Korea issued a threat of a "terrible response" if South Korean drones continue to cross its border, escalating cross-border tensions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be consolidating his daughter's position as a potential successor, with signs indicating her increasing involvement in shaping national policy.

North Korea's ruling party re-elects Kim Jong Un general secretary  The Daily Star

"He is the only person who can represent the strength and invincibility of our great state (...)", reports the state news agency KCNA.

North Korea's ruling party has re-elected Kim Jong Un as general secretary, citing his efforts in bolstering the nation's nuclear power.

South Korea is reportedly considering providing military assistance to Ukraine, potentially sourced from the US via the PURL initiative, in response to North Korea's involvement on Russia's side.

A Defector Explains the Remote-Work Scam Helping North Korea Pay for Nukes  The Wall Street Journal

Kim Jong Un lauded North Korea's economic progress and its position on the international stage during a major party meeting.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to lift living standards as he opened a landmark congress, state media said on Friday, offering a glimpse of economic strains within the sanctions-hit nation. The supreme leader took centre stage with a speech to start the Workers’ Party congress, a gathering that directs state efforts on everything from house building to war planning. Held just once every five years, the days-long congress offers a rare glimpse into the workings of a nation where even...

Watch as Kim Jong Un drives a rocket launcher ahead of a major political gathering in Pyongang on Wednesday (18 February).

Kim hails nuclear-capable weapons as 'wonderful' and 'attractive' as N Korea gears up for a once-in-five-year congress.

Kim Ju-ae, the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is being increasingly seen as a potential successor, drawing international attention to the reclusive nation's future leadership.

South Korea aims to reinstate the no-fly zone over its border with North Korea, a measure from the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact designed to ease tensions.

A defector reveals how North Korea is using remote-work scams to generate funds for its nuclear weapons program.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam used by North Korea to fund its nuclear weapons program.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam used by North Korea to fund its nuclear weapons program.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has gifted new apartments to the families of soldiers who were killed in the Ukraine war.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam being used by North Korea to generate funds for its nuclear weapons program.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam being used by North Korea to generate funds for its nuclear weapons program.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam that North Korea is allegedly using to fund its nuclear weapons program, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam allegedly used by North Korea to fund its nuclear weapons program.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam used by North Korea to finance its nuclear weapons program.

A Defector Explains the Remote-Work Scam Helping North Korea Pay for Nukes  The Wall Street Journal

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly named his young daughter, Kim Ju-ae, as his successor, potentially setting the stage for a power struggle with her ambitious aunt.

A Defector Explains the Remote-Work Scam Helping North Korea Pay for Nukes  The Wall Street Journal

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam used by North Korea to generate funds for its nuclear weapons program.

North Korea has completed a new housing district in Pyongyang dedicated to the families of soldiers who died fighting alongside Russian forces in the Ukraine war, highlighting its support for Russia.

China's Ambassador to North Korea and other embassy officials visited a North Korean beach resort area to mark the Lunar New Year.

North Korea criticized Japan's deepening security partnerships, claiming Tokyo crossed a diplomatic "red line," though analysts suggest the fury is more about Japan's broader defense policies.

Chinese President Xi Jinping stated his readiness to work with Kim Jong Un on a 'new chapter' in bilateral relations between Beijing and Pyongyang, sending a congratulatory message to the North Korean leader after his re-election.

North Korea, the world's No. 9-ranked team, is drawing attention at the Women's Asian Cup after being largely absent from international competitions for over a decade, benefiting from state-sponsored investment.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was re-elected as General Secretary of the ruling Workers' Party on the fourth day of the party congress, as reported by state media.

Diplomatic, political, and economic support from neighboring China is crucial for North Korea.

A young mother who fled North Korea with her family in a wooden boat shared her story of hunger, fear, and life under total control at an event in Geneva.

North Korea has released a new propaganda film, 'Days and Nights of Confrontation,' depicting a failed assassination attempt on former supreme leader Kim Jong Il, a subject previously considered taboo.

The absence of Kim Ju-ae from North Korea's ruling party congress has fueled speculation about succession, as supreme leader Kim Jong-un prepares for a significant political event.

US and Chinese fighter jets have engaged in a rare stand-off over the Yellow Sea, according to media reports in South Korea. This comes at a time when the United States has been trying to shift the focus of its troops stationed in the country away from North Korea to concentrate more on China. The incident on Wednesday involved around 10 US F-16s, which took off from Osan Air Base around 65km (40 miles) south of Seoul and flew west over the Yellow Sea as part of a training operation, according...

China has joined Russia in congratulating North Korea on the conclave of its ruling party, hailing economic achievements under the leadership of Kim Jong-un and pledging to work with Pyongyang to promote regional peace. According to Xinhua, the Central Committee of China’s Communist Party sent a congratulatory letter on Thursday, asserting that the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea had in recent years helped develop the North Korean economy and improve the lives of its people. China’s state news...

North Korea has commenced its 9th ruling party congress in Pyongyang, a rare event held approximately every five years, with Kim Jong Un emphasizing economic achievements.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced plans to reveal new self-defense strengthening goals at an upcoming Workers' Party Congress, as reported by state media.

Kim Jong Un said the new weapons system was a gift for the Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers' Party — a landmark meeting set to begin soon.

Two North Korean soldiers in Ukraine have expressed desire to move to South Korea rather than facing consequences for letting themselves be captured in the North. The regime might choose to punish their families instead.

South Korea claims that civilians sent drones into North Korea four times, damaging bilateral ties.

A defector has revealed details about a remote-work scam used by North Korea to fund its nuclear weapons program.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam used by North Korea to generate funds for its nuclear weapons program.

German men who joined the "Islamic State" group have been detained in Syria for years. But the recent fighting caused chaos at prisons. Thousands escaped or were transferred — and now nobody knows where the Germans are.

A defector has revealed details about a remote-work scam used by North Korea to generate funds for its nuclear weapons program.

A defector has revealed details of a remote-work scam that North Korea is allegedly using to fund its nuclear weapons program.

A defector reveals details of a remote-work scam that North Korea is using to generate funds for its nuclear weapons program.

A Defector Explains the Remote-Work Scam Helping North Korea Pay for Nukes  The Wall Street Journal

A defector reveals how North Korea is using a remote-work scam to finance its nuclear weapons program.

Leader vows to repay the ‘young martyrs’ who died as North Korea intensifies propaganda glorifying troops deployed to fight for Russia

A Defector Explains the Remote-Work Scam Helping North Korea Pay for Nukes  The Wall Street Journal

A defector has exposed a remote-work scam allegedly used by North Korea to generate funds for its nuclear weapons program.

A Defector Explains the Remote-Work Scam Helping North Korea Pay for Nukes  The Wall Street Journal

Kim unveils housing for families of soldiers killed overseas amid North Korea's support for Russia's war in Ukraine.

North Korea's new Congress is set to review and potentially reset the nation's arms development goals, following identified gaps in its 2021 plan.

North Korea has opened a new housing district specifically for the families of those who died in the Ukraine war, signaling its continued involvement and support.

Families of Japanese abductees in North Korea have finalized their action plan, urging the government to secure the immediate return of all victims while their parents are still alive, and to strengthen sanctions if repatriation is not achieved.

South Korea's intelligence agency believes North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's daughter is being groomed as a future successor.