North Korea said Monday it completed a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of North Korean soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
Seoul's assessment comes as North Korea is preparing to hold its biggest political conference later this month, where Kim is expected to outline his major policy goals for the next five years.
North Korea's state media released photos Thursday of what it said was the hull of a nuclear submarine. Its leader denounced South Korea's plans to build its own subs as "an offensive act."
North Korea said Wednesday its recent test-firings of sea-to-surface cruise missiles were successful, in another display of its growing military capabilities as U.S. President Donald Trump visits South Korea.
Experts say Kim likely hopes to restore ties with China, North Korea's biggest trading partner and aid provider, as there have been questions about the bilateral relationship.
When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits China next week for a military parade, it will be his debut at a gathering of foreign leaders for a rare meeting of China, Russia and North Korea.
With Russia's Vladimir Putin also coming for the parade, the event will underline the three-way alignment among Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang in the face of a U.S. push to bolster its alliances with South Korea and Japan.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he wants the luxury resort on the eastern seacoast to become a "world destination," but the country has been reluctant to allow in foreign tourists.
The FBI announced Monday that four North Korean citizens have been indicted on wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges after allegedly scamming an Atlanta business.
North Korea sent 11,000 elite soldiers to support Russia. Their progress — especially in drone warfare — has implications not only for Russia's war on Ukraine but also peace on the Korean Peninsula.
