SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — A North Korean defector crossed the border last week to return home last week, raising questions over why some defectors return to North after defecting to South Korea. According to the Ministry of Unification, the number of defectors who returned to North Korea after defecting to the South totaled [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — The state human rights watchdog has rejected a petition accusing the government of a human rights violation over its decision to revoke the license of an anti-North Korea group of defectors for sending propaganda leaflets across the border, sources said Sunday. The petition was filed with the National Human [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made clear he will place policy priorities in 2022 on developing the national economy and bolstering antivirus efforts, according to Pyongyang’s state media Saturday. He delivered the message during a major Workers’ Party plenary held earlier this week to set the policy directions for [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — North Korea is spurring online education at major universities as part of efforts to train “intellectual-type workers” with science and technology expertise, according to its state media Monday. The North’s main newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, said around 100,000 workers are currently enrolled for online classes across the country, including [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — North Korea’s economy is unlikely to face an imminent crisis despite struggles stemming from crippling sanctions and border restrictions due to anti-virus efforts, experts said Wednesday. The North has continued imports of essential economic materials, such as crude oil and fertilizers, which lessens the chances of its industries becoming [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has allocated 1.1 million Swiss francs (US$1.2 million) to help North Korea combat the COVID-19 pandemic from January last year to June next year, its interim financial report showed. According to the COVID-19 Outbreak 20-Month Update, the organization [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is the third most searched politician by internet users worldwide this year, data showed Tuesday. Online searches for Kim totaled a monthly average of 1.9 million, behind U.S. President Joe Biden, who topped the list with 7 million searches, and British Prime Minister Boris [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Eight out of 10 families divided by the 1950-53 Korean War have yet to confirm the fate of their parents and siblings in North Korea, a government survey showed Thursday. According to the unification ministry’s poll on 5,354 separated family members living in South Korea and abroad, 82 percent [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean government will beef up efforts to monitor fake news on North Korea that “distort the policy environment” for inter-Korean relations, officials said Monday. On Friday, the National Assembly approved a 1.5 trillion won (US$1.27 billion) budget for the unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs next year, including [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — North Korea has seen an increase in heat waves and tropical nights and a decline in cold spells over the past three decades as global warming has driven up temperatures, South Korea’s state weather agency said Tuesday. The average annual temperature in North Korea rose by 0.4 degree Celsius [...]