N.Korea

WNAM REPORT: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a New Year’s letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, vowing to further solidify bilateral military cooperation, the North’s state media reported Tuesday.

“The New Year 2025 will be recorded as the first year of war victory in the 21st century when the Russian army and people defeat neo-Nazism and achieve a great victory,” Kim said in the letter sent to Putin the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The KCNA said the letter, on behalf of Kim, the Korean people and the country’s entire armed forces, conveyed “warm greetings of best wishes to the fraternal Russian people and all the service personnel of the brave Russian army.”

Kim expressed a willingness to further strengthen his country’s “comprehensive strategic partnership” with Russia by devising new projects and implementing them strongly to build strong nations and achieve peace and prosperity for their peoples, the KCNA reported.

Kim “wished Vladimir Putin greater success in his responsible and heavy state leadership activities and the Russian people prosperity, wellbeing and happiness,” the report said.

The letter came amid deepening military, economic and other ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, following the signing of a mutual defense treaty by Kim and Putin during the Russian president’s visit to the North Korean capital in June.

North Korea has deployed more than 10,000 troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, with South Korean officials warning that the North is preparing to send more troops and supply more military equipment to Moscow.

WNAM REPORT: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a newly completed fish farm in the east coastal city of Sinpho and called for regional development to achieve regional economic self-reliance, state media reported Monday.

Kim attended the inauguration ceremony of the Sinpho City Offshore Farm on Saturday, after he ordered the farm’s creation during a meeting on regional economic development in July, the sources said.

Offshore farming “will renew the structure of our fishing industry,” the North Korean leader noted, adding the offshore farms to be built in the future should be more advanced and suited to the regional characteristics to guarantee the development of the regional economy.

“It is important to fully realize by practice that the key to self-reliance and self-sustenance is on them,” he said, referring to Sinpho residents.

Kim also urged other cities and counties to secure “the independence and driving force of the regional economic development by developing and utilizing the natural resources and favorable economic conditions in their regions.”

He then toured the fish farm, including a scallop processing facility, and inspected various seafood products, directing efforts to maximize the farm’s profitability and effectiveness.

This marks his third visit to the facility, following the initial inspection of the farm’s construction site in July and the second visit in November during its construction.

Koo Byoung-sam, the South Korean unification ministry’s spokesperson, said that Kim’s visit to the fish farm, shortly after a key party meeting last week, may be part of his efforts to demonstrate “visible results” from his regional development policy before the year’s end.

WNAM REPORT: North Korean forces are experiencing mass casualties on the front lines of Russia’s war against Ukraine, with a thousand of their troops killed or wounded in the last week alone in Russia’s Kursk region, White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Friday.

The number far exceeds the figure U.S. officials have previously provided.

“It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses,” Kirby said, describing the North Korean troops’ offensive as “massed, dismounted assaults.”

WNAM REPORT: Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a New Year’s message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, expressing hopes that the two nations will continue to cooperate in the next year, Pyongyang’s state media reported Friday.

In the message sent Dec. 17, Putin said that bilateral ties between the two nations have been elevated to a new level following his summit talks with Kim in June in Pyongyang, according to the sources.

Citing a major defense treaty signed in June, Putin said he is sure that “the two nations will continue to cooperate on co-projects very closely to implement the historic treaty in 2025 and further align efforts to cope with threats and challenges of this era,” the sources said.

Kim and Putin clinched a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty that calls for providing military assistance “without delay” if either side comes under attack. The treaty went into effect Dec. 4.

WNAM REPORT: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called to step up development of the country’s industrial production in regions outside Pyongyang to strengthen rural economies, state media said on Saturday.

Kim called for the modernisation of regional manufacturing facilities, improvements in agriculture, and “to come up with clear results every year, regardless of conditions.”

Kim was speaking on Friday at a ceremony for new production facilities in Songchon County, northeast of Pyongyang, in which he participated in ribbon-cutting and toured manufacturing rooms for products such as soy sauce and bean paste, sources said.

Last year, North Korea’s nominal GDP stood at 40.2 trillion won ($27.86 billion), or just 1.7 percent that of South Korea’s 2,401.2 trillion won, South Korea’s statistics agency said on Friday.

North Korea’s GDP had shrunk for three straight years since 2020 during the pandemic when the country shut its borders, and only rebounded last year, the agency said.

WNAM REPORT: North Korea’s economy expanded by more than 3 percent last year, rebounding from three consecutive years of contraction, data showed Friday, on the back of increased trade with China following the easing of border restrictions in the post-COVID-19 period.

The reclusive regime posted 3.1 percent on-year economic growth in 2023, following a 0.2 percent contraction in 2022, a 0.1 percent dip in 2021 and a 4.5 percent decrease in 2020, according to the data from Statistics Korea.

“Economic growth rebounded as border controls imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic were relaxed,” said Kim Soo-young, a Statistics Korea official.

China remained North Korea’s largest trading partner, accounting for 98.3 percent of its total international trade, the agency reported.

North Korea’s total trade volume surged by 74.6 percent on-year to $2.77 billion in 2023, the data showed. Nonetheless, it shows a sharp contrast to Seoul’s $1.26 trillion.

North Korea’s exports soared 104.4 percent on-year to $330 million, while imports rose 71.3 percent to $2.44 billion.

Despite the growth in trade, North Korea’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of 40.2 trillion won remained only at 1.7 percent of South Korea’s, which came to 2,401.2 trillion won in 2023.

Similarly, its nominal gross national income (GNI) reached 40.9 trillion won, with a per capita GNI of 1.59 million won, roughly one-thirtieth of that of South Korea.

North Korea has long struggled with chronic food shortages, which have been further exacerbated by heightened international economic sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs.

North Korea’s grain production increased 6.9 percent in 2023 to 4.82 million tons, surpassing South Korea’s 4.3 million tons by more than 500,000 tons.

“Unlike South Korea, which relies heavily on imports for its grain supply, North Korea’s self-sufficiency in grain production is noteworthy given its ongoing food crisis,” Kim said.

The population of North Korea was estimated at 25.8 million in 2023, compared with South Korea’s 51.71 million.

The life expectancy for North Korean men was 72.1 years and 78.6 years for women, the agency said. In comparison, South Korean men and women were expected to live 8.5 years and 7.8 years longer, respectively.

Since 1995, South Korea’s statistics office has been publishing comprehensive data on North Korea to provide insights into its economic and social conditions.

WNAM REPORT: The United States voiced alarm at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday that Russia was close to accepting a nuclear-armed North Korea, as Moscow and Pyongyang defended their growing cooperation.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in September that Moscow viewed the notion of “denuclearizing” North Korea as a closed issue, as it understood Pyongyang’s logic of relying on nuclear weapons as the foundation of its defence.

“Alarmingly, we assess that Russia may be close to accepting North Korea’s nuclear-weapons program, reversing Moscow’s decades-long commitment to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula,” said U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

“We believe that Moscow will become more reluctant not only to criticize Pyongyang’s development of nuclear weapons, but also further obstruct passage of sanctions or resolutions condemning North Korea’s destabilizing behavior,” she said.

South Korea and Britain both criticized Lavrov’s remarks, saying he had undermined the global non-proliferation regime. Britain’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador James Kariuki described Lavrov’s comment as a “reckless departure from the agreed principle of complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament.”

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia did not reference North Korea’s nuclear program when he addressed the council. He defended the growing cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang as Russia’s sovereign right.

“Russian cooperation with the DPRK … is in accordance with international law, not in violation thereof,” he said, using the acronym for North Korea’s official name. “This is not directed against any third countries. It does not pose any threat to states in the region or the international community, and have no doubt we will continue to develop such cooperation.”

Russia has forged closer diplomatic and military ties with North Korea since invading Ukraine in February 2022 and Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have visited each other’s countries.

Russia is using North Korean troops to battle Ukrainian forces holding an enclave in Russia’s Kursk region.

North Korea’s U.N. Ambassador Kim Song described the closer ties with Russia as a “positive contribution to international peace and security.” Citing what Pyongyang sees as a U.S.-led nuclear-based military bloc in the region, he also said: “Outbreak of the nuclear war in Northeast Asia is no longer a possibility, but a matter of time.”

South Korea’s U.N. Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook warned the Security Council to “expect further uncertainties looming over the horizon” ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump taking office for a second term next month.

“North Korea has a history of provocative actions during U.S. presidential transitions, designed to grab attention, raise the stakes and set the stage for direct negotiations with the new U.S. administration,” Hwang said.

“This pattern can recur within the upcoming months. This time it could be another ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) or military satellite launch or even its seventh nuclear test,” he said.

North Korea has been under U.N. Security Council sanctions since 2006, and the measures have been steadily strengthened over the years with the aim of halting Pyongyang’s development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

WNAM REPORT: The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) is set to hold a briefing later this week to discuss North Korea’s deepening military cooperation with Russia, amid growing concerns over North Korean troops’ engagement in combat alongside Russian forces against Ukraine.

According to the UNSC program of work posted on the website of the U.S. Mission to the U.N., the council is set to have the briefing on North Korea’s non-proliferation issue on Wednesday. The U.S. holds the presidency of the UNSC this month.

Participants are expected to discuss a range of issues related to the North’s troop deployment to support Russia in its war in Ukraine and other related issues.

On Monday, the U.S. confirmed that North Korea has suffered casualties, including fatalities, during combat against Ukraine while warning that should troops cross the border into Ukraine, it would mark yet another escalation by both Russia and the North.

WNAM REPORT: North Korea’s state media on Monday reported on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment, two days after South Korea’s National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon over his botched imposition of martial law earlier this month.

The National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against Yoon on Saturday over his short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3, suspending his duties until the Constitutional Court decides whether to reinstate him or remove him from office.

“The impeachment motion against the puppet Yoon Suk Yeol was approved in the puppet ROK on Saturday,” as reported, using the acronym of South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.

“The puppet Constitutional Court will finally decide the impeachment,” it said.

The sources reported in detail on the developments leading to the impeachment, including Yoon’s public address last week defending the martial law decree as an act of governance and denying insurrection charges against him.

“It sparked off stronger rebuff and resentment of the political and public circles as the puppet shifted the responsibility for foolish emergency martial law declaration onto the opposition parties … and insulted the struggle of the broad masses for impeachment as a ‘sword dance of chaos,'” the KCNA said.

Noting that an initial impeachment motion against Yoon was scrapped as ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers boycotted the move, the state media said the motion was ultimately passed as PPP members became “disillusioned with their party’s despicable behavior.”

The sources also reported that a handful of senior military and police personnel were detained and suspended from their duties amid a martial law probe, calling Yoon “the ringleader of rebellion.”

A similar report was carried on the Rodong Sinmun, the North’s main newspaper for its internal audience.

In 2016, the sources had carried a report on the impeachment of then President Park Geun-hye on the day the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against her.

The sources reported on Yoon’s martial law imposition after remaining silent for about a week.

WNAM REPORT: President Joe Biden has approved a new national security memorandum ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House that could serve as a road map for the incoming administration as it looks to counter growing cooperation among China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, the White House said Wednesday.

Biden administration officials began developing the guidance this summer. It was shaped to be a document that could help the next administration build its approach from Day 1 on how it deals with the tightening relationships involving America’s most prominent adversaries and competitors, according to two senior administration officials.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity underground rules set by the White House, said the classified memorandum would not be made public because of the sensitivity of some of its findings.

The document includes four broad recommendations: improving U.S. government interagency cooperation, speeding up the sharing of information with allies about the four adversaries, calibrating the U.S. government’s use of sanctions and other economic tools for maximum effectiveness, and bolstering preparation to manage simultaneous crises involving the adversaries.

The U.S. for many years has been concerned about cooperation among the four countries. Coordination has accelerated between the countries in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The officials noted that as Russia has become more isolated by much of the world, Moscow has turned to Iran for drones and missiles. From North Korea, the Russians have received artillery, missiles and even thousands of troops that have traveled to help the Russians try to repel Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region. China, meanwhile, has supported Russia with dual use components that help keep its military industrial base afloat.

In return, Russia has sent fighter jets to Iran and assisted Tehran as it looks to bolster its missile defense and space technology.

North Korea has received from Russia much-needed fuel and funding to help build out its manufacturing and military capabilities. The officials added that Russia has “de facto accepted North Korea as a nuclear weapon state.”

China, meanwhile, is benefiting from Russian know-how, with the two countries working together to deepen their military technical cooperation. The two nations are also conducting joint patrols in the Arctic region.

Biden and Trump have sharply different worldviews, but officials in both the incoming and outgoing administrations said they have sought to coordinate on national security issues during the transition.

One of the officials said that the Biden White House memo “isn’t trying to box (the Trump administration) in or tilt them toward one policy option or another.”

The official said the document is intended to help the next administration build “capacity” as it shapes its policies on some the most difficult foreign policies it will face.