1 of 2 | The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family government complex in Seoul. Photo by Asia Today
May 21 (Asia Today) — The number of multicultural students in South Korea topped 200,000 for the first time last year, even as the country’s overall youth population continued to decline, government data showed Wednesday.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family released its 2026 youth statistics, covering 36 indicators in eight areas, to mark Youth Month in May.
The data showed the number of multicultural students reached 202,208 last year, up 4.3% from a year earlier. They accounted for 4% of all students.
Elementary school students made up 57.7% of multicultural students, followed by middle school students at 25.3% and high school students at 16.6%.
South Korea’s youth population, defined as people ages 9 to 24, stood at 7.409 million this year, accounting for 14.4% of the total population. That was down from 7.626 million, or 14.8%, last year.
Education indicators showed mixed trends. Seven in 10 students said they enjoyed going to school, up 1 percentage point from the previous year. The share was highest among elementary school students at 79.2%, followed by middle school students at 71.9% and high school students at 69.2%.
The private education participation rate among elementary, middle and high school students fell to 75.7%, down 4.3 percentage points from a year earlier. Average weekly time spent in private education also declined by 30 minutes to 7.1 hours.
The school dropout rate edged up to 1.1%, while the share of high school graduates advancing to higher education in South Korea or abroad rose to 74.4%.
Labor data showed the employment rate for people ages 15 to 29 was 45.0% in 2025, down 1.1 percentage points from the previous year. The unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 6.1%.
Among middle and high school students, 5.1% said they had worked part-time during the past year.
Income was the top factor young people considered when choosing a job. Teenagers and young adults ages 13 to 24 ranked income first, followed by aptitude and interest, then job stability.
Large companies were the most preferred workplaces, followed by government agencies and public corporations.
The share of young people prioritizing income has steadily increased since 2013, when it stood at 27.0%. The trend was stronger among male youths at 42.8% than female youths at 35.9%. Women were more likely than men to cite aptitude and interest as a key factor.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) will likely visit North Korea as early as next week, sources said Wednesday. In this photo, Xi shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a meeting in Beijing. File Photo by KCNA/EPA
Chinese President Xi Jinping will likely visit North Korea as early as next week, sources said Wednesday.
“We have obtained intelligence indicating that President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea soon,” a high-ranking government official told Yonhap News Agency.
Another government official also said there is a high possibility of Xi visiting North Korea later this month or early next month, noting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi‘s visit to Pyongyang last month and the recent trips by Xi’s security guards and ceremonial staff to the North Korean capital.
During the meeting with Wang, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed willingness to strengthen high-level exchanges and enhance strategic communication with Beijing, as he recalled his visit to China last year.
The two nations mark the 65th anniversary of signing a comprehensive treaty on cooperation this year.
Xi’s possible visit to the reclusive regime also follows summit talks with U.S President Donald Trump in Beijing last week. During the talks, the two leaders reaffirmed their shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea.
A separate government source said the Chinese leader could seek to mediate relations between North Korea and the United States.
During his state visit to China in January, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung asked Xi to help mediate inter-Korean relations, and the Chinese leader responded positively to the request, according to the source.
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1 of 2 | US President Donald Trump (R) and Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (L) attend a meeting with relatives of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea at the Akasaka Palace State Guest House in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by KIYOSHI OTA / EPA
May 20 (Asia Today) — Japan is intensifying efforts to pressure U.S. political leaders and public opinion over the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea, seeking to ensure the matter remains part of future U.S. policy toward Pyongyang.
The campaign reflects growing concern in Tokyo that the abductee issue could be sidelined if Washington resumes negotiations with North Korea focused primarily on nuclear weapons and missile programs.
Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun reported Tuesday that the Japanese government has, since last year, sought meetings with former members of the U.S. Congress and expanded outreach efforts targeting American political and policy circles.
Officials from the Japanese Embassy in Washington have reportedly led the effort, while Tokyo has also engaged experts and opinion leaders with influence over U.S. public discourse. Japan has additionally used opinion advertisements published in The Washington Post as part of its advocacy campaign.
Japan officially recognizes 17 citizens as victims of abduction by North Korea. Pyongyang admitted to abducting Japanese citizens during a summit between the two countries in 2002, and five victims returned to Japan later that year.
However, the fate of the remaining abductees remains unresolved.
The Japanese government has consistently maintained that normalization of diplomatic ties with North Korea cannot proceed without resolution of the abductee issue. Japan’s Foreign Ministry and headquarters for abductee affairs classify the matter as a major issue involving national sovereignty and the safety of citizens.
According to the Sankei report, some U.S. lawmakers questioned why Japan had failed to resolve the issue independently over such a long period.
Japanese officials responded by arguing that the abductee issue is not simply a bilateral dispute but also a broader matter involving human rights and international security.
Tokyo views Washington as essential leverage because North Korea has largely refused direct negotiations with Japan. Japanese officials want to ensure the abductee issue remains included whenever the United States adjusts North Korea policy or enters diplomatic talks with Pyongyang.
Concerns have grown amid speculation that the Trump administration could again pursue direct engagement with North Korea, potentially pushing the abductee issue behind nuclear and missile concerns.
The issue also has parallels in South Korea. According to Seoul’s Ministry of Unification, North Korea is currently believed to be detaining seven South Korean nationals, including missionaries Kim Jung-wook, Kim Kook-kie and Choi Chun-gil, along with four North Korean defectors who later obtained South Korean citizenship.
South Korea also estimates that around 100,000 civilians were abducted during the 1950-53 Korean War. About 82,000 South Korean soldiers were listed as missing after the armistice, while only 8,343 prisoners of war returned through prisoner exchanges.
Despite those figures, the issue has received less sustained public and political attention in South Korea than Japan’s abductee campaign. While Seoul has pursued interagency initiatives and operates awareness campaigns such as the “Three Forget-Me-Nots” project, public focus has remained centered more heavily on nuclear threats, inter-Korean relations and military tensions.
President Lee Jae Myung (R) welcomes Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at a hotel in Andong, about 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday, ahead of their summit. Photo by Yonhap
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived Tuesday at an airport in the South Korean city of Daegu for a two-day trip that will include a summit with President Lee Jae Myung in his hometown of Andong.
Lee and Takaichi are scheduled to hold talks in Andong, about 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul, later in the day, which are expected to cover a wide range of bilateral and regional issues, including North Korea and the prolonged U.S.-Iran war in the Middle East.
Takaichi’s trip reciprocates Lee’s visit to her hometown of Nara Prefecture in January when the two last met in person as part of the neighboring countries’ ongoing “shuttle diplomacy.”
As military guards of honor welcomed her, Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina received her before an escorted vehicle took her toward a hotel in Andong, where she is scheduled hold talks with Lee.
Around 170 police officers and 40 patrol cars and motorcycles were deployed at and around the airport to ensure safety during Takaichi’s arrival.
Shortly after her arrival in Andong, Lee welcomed Takaichi with a hug at the entrance of a hotel, wearing a light sky-blue tie matching the color of the Japanese leader’s suit.
“You have gone to great trouble to come all the way to this small city,” Lee told Takaichi before ushering her into the hotel, according to a pool report.
Following her summit with Lee later in the day, the two leaders will make a joint press announcement on the results of their meeting, followed by a banquet dinner and a performance.
The Japanese prime minister is scheduled to return home Wednesday morning via the Daegu airport.
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South Korea’s Unification Ministry on Monday released a new white paper focusing on peaceful coexistence with North Korea. This photo shows the Unification Bridge in Paju, across the border from the North, on Oct. 26, 2025. File Photo by Yonhap
The Lee Jae Myung government has shifted its focus to a peaceful “two-state” coexistence with North Korea, rather than pressure and confrontation, the unification ministry’s white paper showed Monday, striking a markedly different tone from its predecessor.
The annual paper reflects the push by the Lee government, which took office in June last year, to repair the strained inter-Korean relationship based on building mutual trust.
The previous conservative Yoon Suk Yeol government sought to bring about change in North Korea through pressure and the influx of outside information.
The latest white paper laid out three key guiding principles: Seoul respects North Korea’s system, does not pursue unification by absorption and does not engage in hostile activities.
Built on these principles, the government has framed its overarching policy as one of “peaceful coexistence and mutual growth on the Korean Peninsula.”
In particular, regarding Pyongyang’s “two hostile states” policy, the document specified the ministry’s stance that highlights the need for a transition to a “peace-oriented two-state relationship” aimed at achieving unification.
At a year-end party meeting in December 2023, the North Korean leader declared inter-Korean relations as those between “two states hostile to each other” and has since pursued hostile policies toward Seoul.
“Considering the reality that the South and the North exist as two de facto states, we intend to develop inter-Korean relations into a relationship of peaceful coexistence while still aiming for unification,” the ministry said.
Critics said the ministry’s “peace-oriented two-state relationship” narrative runs counter to the long-held stance that inter-Korean ties are a “special relationship” tentatively formed in the process of seeking unification, not as state-to-state relations.
Among the measures cited is the Lee government’s decision to halt the sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets to North Korea and stop loudspeaker broadcasts along the border as steps to ease military tension and rebuild trust.
The paper also outlines plans to revive the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement, signed by former President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018, and pursue a bilateral accord to establish a systematic foundation for peaceful coexistence.
The shift in policy priorities is visible in the paper’s language. References to “peace” and “peaceful coexistence” surged to 196 from 29 and mentions of “meeting” or “dialogue” rose to 58 from 16.
By contrast, the section on North Korean human rights has been significantly scaled back. The term “North Korea’s human rights” dropped to 26 from 156, and “freedom” fell to three from 43. Mentions of “North Korean defectors” plummeted to just 10 from 203.
In a foreword message for the paper, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young stated, “Peace on the Korean Peninsula is not a choice for us, but a lifeline.”
“As we practice peace through actions rather than words, I hope that the South and the North can sit down together once again as neighbors peacefully coexisting with each other,” he added.
Despite Seoul’s olive branch, inter-Korean relations remain virtually frozen. There has been no inter-Korean human exchange in five years and no economic exchange whatsoever, the paper showed.
Pyongyang, meanwhile, has doubled down on its two-state policy, revising its constitution to remove all references to unification and cutting off remaining ties with Seoul.
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CANNES, France — The movies of Na Hong-jin aren’t hard to love — they’re as obsession-worthy as the stylish rigor with which they are made. His 2008 debut, “The Chaser,” found new febrility in the post-Fincher serial killer thriller. “The Wailing” somehow added ghosts, demon-possessed children and inky black crows to the mix with a near-crazed sense of showmanship.
That was 10 years ago. Na, 51, now sits on the other side of a project that has consumed him for years, a sci-fi action film called “Hope” that arrives with expensive CGI, a pair of A-list stars (Michael Fassbender and Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander) and James Cameron-sized franchise ambitions. It will undoubtedly make Na’s gallows-humor-inflected brand more global, even if it lifts him out of the cult niche that’s nourished him to date.
Cannes is an unlikely place to launch “Hope.” That could be seen as a sign that the festival’s increasing accommodation of blockbuster bigness doesn’t need Hollywood. Na sits in the corner of a Côte d’Azur waterfront lounge on a glorious midday, the sky an almost abstract blue. He tugs at his goatee distractedly. His world premiere is tonight.
Neon, the distributor currently enjoying a six-year Palme d’Or winning streak, will release “Hope” in America sometime after its summer bow in Na’s native South Korea. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity. It also contains significant spoilers.
A scene from the movie “Hope,” directed by Na Hong-jin.
(Neon)
When did you realize that you had a big sci-fi alien monster movie in you?
The idea came to me in 2017 in Seoul. The premise started off with somebody watching news in a diner or a small restaurant. It was that image that I had in my head. So I started developing that initial image in more detail. By 2018, I was able to write my first draft.
“Hope” brings to mind several genre classics, from “Jaws” and John Carpenter movies like “The Thing,” to something more homegrown such as Bong Joon Ho’s “The Host.” Were those inspiring to you?
I must have looked all the genre films that I could find, including the ones you mention, before I went into filming. And, as I hope you noticed, I was looking more at films from before 2000 and I tried to reflect that look.
It seems like you’re using Cannes as a moment to pivot or reinvent yourself. Is that intentional?
I didn’t intend for this to be a turning point in terms of style or direction going forward. I never thought of it that way. What I really dwelled on was thinking about how to tell this story in a way that was approachable and entertaining for people.
Why did you set the story in the demilitarized zone?
If you look at it from a universal perspective, what happens in this very shabby, humble, small, insignificant space potentially creates an impact that can go on infinitely. I think none of the characters in the film do anything with any malice. I guess the underlying story I want to tell is that there is no reason for evil intention behind anything, but innocent acts can build up to something tragic.
Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander are wonderful surprises in the movie as some rather dignified aliens. What led you to them?
When I was casting the alien roles, I had a bigger story in mind. I don’t know whether there’ll be a sequel after this one, but if so, that sequel is going to be centered around them. So picking the right actors was very important for me. We asked them to learn this invented alien language, which they prepared and came onto set knowing.
How important to you is comedy and releasing tension with laughs?
Very. I try to really think it through and if it comes out the way I intended, that gives me such a thrill. I tried to incorporate it in many places.
A lot of the movie feels like a virtuoso chase sequence, people barreling down the road, guns blazing. But it took me a minute to realize that the more interesting question is: Who’s doing the chasing? Is “Hope” meant to make us examine our own violence?
Yes, very much so. And two of the major chase scenes were designed so that what starts off as righteous somehow tilts toward being unjust. I wanted the action to bring up that transition in perspective.
You’ve premiered at Cannes before but, in a way, it feels like the wrong festival for a movie like this. You’re laughing because I think you agree with me.
It goes without saying. I’m incredibly nervous. And I feel so grateful that you’re treating me so nicely and gently.
A scene from the movie “Hope,” directed by Na Hong-jin.
(Neon)
Why did it take you 10 years to make this film?
There was a pandemic in the middle of that. But except for the pandemic where everything stopped, I was working my ass off before and after. It still took this long. I’m a little concerned myself, like: How did this happen?
With “Hope,” are you saying goodbye to the filmmaker you once were?
Not at all. Throughout the entire process of making this film, I was bloodthirsty. I was thirsting for blood. I have another script written already.
And maybe now it’ll go faster because there won’t be a pandemic. Are you hoping that this movie is going to have an impact on the Korean film industry?
It’s not my place to say that. I’m not sure. I want things to be freer.
Would it be a mistake to read this film as an allegory for what’s happening now in the world? Is it a plea for understanding?
I don’t regard it as a plea for understanding. Rather, let’s hope people will be able to relate to it and be empathetic about the story and realize for themselves, understand for themselves. Maybe there’s something more to it, but you take away what you will from that.
Your dark humor flares on occasion. Did you make it a point to try to preserve that?
Well, you can’t just do something like this without having that. It’s not fun.
This doesn’t feel like an “Avatar”-style film. There’s an openness to it, a sense of exploration. Do you believe in heroes?
I do believe in heroes, but, as I tell in the story, anyone can be a hero.
A ship was observed waiting to transit the Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Sea off Muscat, Oman, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The fragile cease-fire between the United States and Iran conditioned on opening the strait—has kept maritime traffic at very low levels, as tensions rise in negotiations between the two sides. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
May 15 (Asia Today) — Leaders from 26 countries, including South Korea, issued a joint statement supporting the restoration of normal operations through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a CNN report.
The statement came as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing.
The leaders of South Korea, Britain, France, Japan, Canada, Qatar and Bahrain were among those who reaffirmed support for freedom of navigation through the strait.
“We will use the full range of diplomatic, economic and military capabilities to support freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,” the leaders said in the statement.
They said navigation must remain free under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and international law.
The leaders also pledged support for an independent and strictly defensive multinational military mission, including mine-clearing operations, to achieve that goal.
They said any military mission would be carried out only in a permissible environment and would complement diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.
Trump, who is visiting China, said in a Fox News interview after his summit with Xi that the Chinese leader also supports reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“President Xi wants the Strait of Hormuz open,” Trump said, adding that Xi offered to help “if he can be of any help.”
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back attends a press conference for South Korean correspondents at the South Korean Embassy in Washington, DC, USA, 12 May 2026 (issued 13 May 2026). Photo by YONHAP / EPA
May 15 (Asia Today) — South Korea may announce a basic plan for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines as early as this month, officials and diplomatic sources said Friday.
According to foreign policy and security sources, the government is preparing a “Korean nuclear-powered submarine basic plan” that would outline its core principles and a timeline for acquisition.
A Defense Ministry official said the plan is being developed in coordination with relevant agencies but said the exact schedule could not be confirmed.
The official also said it has not been decided whether the Defense Ministry will lead the announcement.
Although no specific date has been set, some observers expect the plan could be released before the Shangri-La Dialogue, an Asian security forum scheduled to take place in Singapore later this month.
The plan is expected to include the defensive nature of the submarines, their missions and roles, a detailed timeline, fuel procurement and financing plans and South Korea’s commitment to complying with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
If announced, the plan would mark a formal declaration of the government’s intention to pursue nuclear-powered submarines.
A joint fact sheet released after a recent South Korea-U.S. summit said the United States had approved South Korea’s construction of nuclear-powered submarines and would work closely with Seoul, including on fuel procurement.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back recently visited the United States and discussed cooperation on nuclear-powered submarine construction with U.S. defense officials.
Bin Hyun-joon, chief of the social statistics bureau at the Ministry of Data and Statistics, holds a press conference at the government complex in Sejong, South Korea. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
May 13 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s employment rate fell for the first time in 16 months in April as hiring growth slowed amid higher oil prices, weaker consumer sentiment and continued external uncertainty tied to the Middle East war.
The number of employed people aged 15 and older stood at 28.96 million in April, up 74,000 from a year earlier, according to employment data released Wednesday by Statistics Korea.
The increase was the smallest since December 2024 and the first time this year that job growth fell below 100,000.
The employment rate fell 0.2 percentage point from a year earlier to 63.0%, marking its first decline in 16 months.
Youth employment remained weak. The number of employed people aged 15 to 29 fell by 194,000 from a year earlier to 3.42 million, extending its decline for a 42nd consecutive month since November 2022.
The youth employment rate dropped 1.6 percentage points from a year earlier, marking its 24th straight month of decline.
By industry, wholesale and retail jobs fell by 52,000 from a year earlier, while accommodation and food service jobs declined by 29,000. Manufacturing employment dropped by 55,000.
Officials attributed the slowdown to weaker consumer sentiment and continued external uncertainty related to the prolonged Middle East war. Transportation and warehousing jobs, which are sensitive to oil prices, rose by 18,000, but the pace of growth slowed.
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries employment fell by 92,000 amid population aging, while professional, scientific and technical services dropped by 115,000 because of a high base from last year.
Health and social welfare service jobs increased by 261,000, supported by rising care demand and government-backed direct job programs for older people.
“Employment gains were led by health and welfare services, arts, sports and leisure, and real estate,” said Bin Hyun-joon, head of social statistics at Statistics Korea. “By age group, employment increased among people aged 60 and older and those in their 30s, but the pace of growth slowed from the previous month.”
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, seen here at a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday, called for a heightened focus on human rights issues in North Korea. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI
SEOUL, May 13 (UPI) — United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Wednesday called for an “all hands on deck” response to North Korea’s human rights crisis, saying efforts to address peace and security on the Korean Peninsula “need to be anchored in human rights.”
“The situation in the DPRK is a human rights crisis and it is high time the international community treats it as such,” Turk said at a press conference in Seoul, using the official acronym for North Korea.
“My office has continued to document patterns of ongoing gross human rights violations, some of which may amount to crimes against humanity,” he said.
Turk is on a three-day trip to South Korea, where he is meeting with civil society groups, North Korean escapees and senior government officials. It is the first visit by a U.N. human rights chief since 2015.
A 2014 U.N. Commission of Inquiry report found North Korea’s abuses to be “without parallel in the contemporary world” and recommended referring the country’s leadership to the International Criminal Court.
A follow-up assessment released last year by the U.N. human rights office said conditions in North Korea “have not improved over the past decade and, in many instances, have degraded,” citing worsening food shortages, forced labor and severe restrictions on movement and expression.
“It is clear that there needs to be accountability in all its forms, including non-judicial forms, for the grave violations that have plagued the DPRK for decades,” Turk said.
“It is equally clear that we need all hands on deck to craft fresh solutions for the way forward,” he added. “Peace and security on the Korean peninsula need to be anchored in human rights.”
Turk’s trip comes as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pursues improved ties with Pyongyang through confidence-building measures such as restricting activist groups from sending anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border.
Lee’s administration has also taken a cautious approach to North Korean rights concerns, including dissolving a Unification Ministry office focused on the issue and suspending publication of an annual rights report. Advocacy groups have criticized the moves as a “troubling shift away from support for the victims of North Korean government repression.”
Turk pushed back against the notion that dialogue with Pyongyang requires softening criticism of its rights record.
“There is no paradox in engaging while addressing human rights issues,” he said. “Engagement cannot come at the expense of human rights. That was obviously a very important part of my dialogue with the authorities here.”
In March, South Korea joined 49 other countries in co-sponsoring a U.N. Human Rights Council resolution condemning North Korea’s abuses, despite speculation Seoul might withhold support.
Turk also addressed the case of two North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 after being deployed to support Russia’s war effort.
The soldiers have expressed a desire to go to South Korea rather than return to the North, where rights groups say they could face severe punishment.
Turk said international human rights law was “very clear” on the issue.
“The obligation not to send them back to areas where they could end up being harmed” applies in their case, he said.
Turk said his office continues to seek opportunities for dialogue with North Korean officials and called next week’s visit by a North Korean women’s soccer team to South Korea “encouraging.”
“Urgent steps are needed to find ways to exchange letters, resume family contacts and reunions, and release information clarifying the whereabouts and fate of disappeared and abducted people,” he said.
On Thursday, Turk is scheduled to travel to Gwangju to deliver a keynote address at the World Human Rights Cities Forum.
Wreathes are seen amongst the statues at the Korean War Veterans Memorial during Memorial Day weekend in Washington on May 27, 2023. Memorial Day, which honors U.S. military personnel who died while in service, is held on the last Monday of May. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Officials of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Southern Nuclear Operating Co. celebrate signing a memorandum of understanding at the Korean firm’s head office in South Korea on Tuesday. Photo by KHNP
SEOUL, May 12 (UPI) — Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, or KHNP, said Tuesday it partnered with Southern Nuclear Operating Co. of the United States to enhance nuclear engineering.
The state-backed enterprise signed a memorandum of understanding at its head office in Gyeongju, around 180 miles southeast of Seoul, with the U.S. nuclear company.
Under the agreement, KHNP said, the two would expand technical exchange programs and share best practices in operating nuclear facilities.
The South Korean company noted the partnership aligns with the efforts over the past few years to shift its operations toward an engineering-based system.
“This agreement is expected to help our engineers broaden their global perspective and provide an opportunity for our engineering system to advance further,” KHNP senior executive Kim Young-seung said in a statement.
“Down the road, we will do our utmost to perfect the Korean-style engineering system through close cooperation with overseas operators and international organizations,” he added.
Last June, KHNP signed a deal worth at least $18 billion to build two nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic. To support the project, the company plans to collaborate with various partners both at home and abroad.
As of the end of last year, KHNP ran a total of 26 nuclear reactors in South Korea. It is also constructing four new reactors in the country. KHNP is not publicly traded.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Park Il attends a press conference at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, 10 May 2026. A South Korean investigation team has concluded that unidentified airborne objects caused the explosion and fire aboard the Panama flagged cargo vessel Namu, operated by HMM Co., in the Strait of Hormuz last week. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
May 10 (Asia Today) — The South Korean government said Sunday that a fire aboard the HMM Namu was caused by strikes from two unidentified flying objects.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il said during an emergency briefing that two unidentified aircraft struck the outer shell of the portside ballast tank near the stern of the HMM Namu twice, about one minute apart, on Monday.
“The objects were captured on CCTV footage, but there are limits to identifying the launch source, exact model and physical size,” Park said.
The government said the incident does not appear to have been caused by a drifting mine or an underwater drone attack. Authorities plan to conduct further analysis of debris collected at the scene to determine the type and size of the objects that struck the vessel.
After an explosion and fire broke out aboard the HMM Namu on Monday, speculation emerged over whether the incident was a simple fire or an attack by Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the vessel acted independently and suggested Iran was responsible. The South Korean presidential office initially said the possibility of an attack appeared low.
Iranian state television reported that force had been used against a South Korean vessel, but the Iranian Embassy in Seoul denied any attack on the ship, adding to confusion over the cause of the fire.
The HMM Namu arrived at a repair shipyard in Dubai on Thursday, and a detailed internal and external inspection was conducted from Friday through Sunday. A joint South Korean government investigation team, including officials from the Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal and the National Fire Agency, was dispatched to the site. The South Korean Consulate General in Dubai also supported the investigation.
The presidential office said the investigation team had completed necessary on-site work and would return to South Korea individually depending on flight availability.
South Korea says it is investigating an incident on May 4 when two unidentified objects struck a Korean-operated cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The strike caused a fire and damaged the vessel’s stern.
North Korea’s U.N. envoy said Thursday that Pyongyang is not bound by the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. In this photo, North Korea shows off an ICBM at a military parade in Pyongyang in October. File Photo by KCNA/EPA
SEOUL, May 7 (UPI) — North Korea is not bound by the global treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, its U.N. envoy said Thursday, calling efforts to force Pyongyang to comply with the pact a “wanton violation” of international law.
Kim Song, North Korea’s permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks in a statement carried by the state-run Korea Central News Agency during an ongoing review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at U.N. headquarters in New York.
The United States and other countries at the conference are “groundlessly taking issue with the present status and exercise of sovereign rights of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, a nuclear weapons state outside the treaty,” Kim wrote, using North Korea’s official name.
“The position of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state does not change in accordance with rhetorical assertion or unilateral desire of outsiders,” he said. “Clarifying once again, the DPRK is not bound by the NPT in any case.”
North Korea formally withdrew from the NPT in 2003 and in 2022 passed a law declaring itself a nuclear state. Leader Kim Jong Un later called the country’s nuclear status “irreversible,” and Pyongyang amended its constitution to codify the expansion of its nuclear forces.
Pyongyang has repeated the assertion frequently, including during a rare address to the U.N. General Assembly in September, when a senior diplomat vowed the North would “never give up” its nuclear weapons.
In a 2025 report, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimated that North Korea possesses about 50 nuclear warheads and has enough fissile material for about 40 more. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said in January that North Korea was producing enough weapons-grade material to build between 10 and 20 nuclear weapons annually.
The envoy’s statement comes ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China next week, where speculation has persisted that the trip could provide an opportunity to revive leader-to-leader diplomacy with Kim Jong Un.
Trump held a pair of high-profile summits with Kim during his first term in office and has suggested on several occasions that he would meet with the North Korean leader again.
Kim appeared to leave the door open to renewed diplomacy with Washington in remarks last year, saying he retained “fond memories” of Trump but warning that denuclearization was off the table.
On Monday, a White House official told Yonhap News Agency that a Trump-Kim meeting was “not currently on the schedule.”
Pyongyang says its status as nuclear-armed state ‘will not change based on external rhetorical claims’.
Published On 7 May 20267 May 2026
North Korea’s envoy to the United Nations has declared that Pyongyang will not be bound by any treaty on atomic weapons and that no external pressure will change its status as a nuclear-armed state.
Ambassador Kim Song’s statement – carried by state media on Thursday – came as the United States and other countries criticised North Korea’s nuclear programme at the ongoing UN conference reviewing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
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Pyongyang withdrew from the NPT in 2003 and has since conducted six nuclear tests, promoting multiple UN Security Council sanctions.
The country is believed to hold dozens of nuclear warheads.
“At the 11th NPT Review Conference currently under way at UN headquarters, the United States and certain countries following its lead are groundlessly calling into question the current status and exercise of sovereign rights,” Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
“The status of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as a nuclear-armed state will not change based on external rhetorical claims or unilateral desires,” he added.
“To make it clear once again, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will not be bound by the Non-Proliferation Treaty under any circumstances whatsoever.”
He continued that the country’s status as a nuclear-armed state has been “enshrined in the constitution, transparently declaring the principles of nuclear weapons use”.
North Korea has long insisted that it will not give up its nuclear arsenal, describing its path as “irreversible” and pledging to strengthen its capabilities.
It has sent ground troops and artillery shells to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and observers say Pyongyang is receiving military technology assistance from Moscow in return.
The nine nuclear-armed states – Russia, the US, France, the United Kingdom, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea – possessed 12,241 nuclear warheads in January 2025, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported.
The US and Russia hold nearly 90 percent of nuclear weapons globally and have carried out major programmes to modernise them in recent years, according to SIPRI.
The nuclear issue has been at the heart of the US and Israel’s war on Iran, with US President Donald Trump saying that Tehran – a signatory to the NPT – can never have a nuclear weapon.
Iran denies seeking an atomic weapon and has long demanded Washington acknowledge its right to enrich uranium.
A smelter of Korea Zinc in South Korea. The company logged record quarterly sales and profits during the first three months of this year. Photo by Korea Zinc
SEOUL, May 6 (UPI) — World-leading non-ferrous metal maker Korea Zinc said Wednesday it posted record results during the first three months of this year despite a challenging business environment.
The Seoul-based company said its first-quarter sales were $4.2 billion, up 58.4% from a year before, while operating profit nearly tripled to $515 million year-on-year. Both were all-time quarterly highs.
Korea Zinc’s operating margin almost doubled to 12.3% during the January-March period. The company said said its diversified product portfolios and stable production capabilities led to the strong profit.
Robust demand for precious metals and critical minerals, including gold, silver and antimony, supported the company’s stellar performance, Korea Zinc said.
Separately, the company’s board approve Wednesday a first-quarter dividend of $3.46 per share, totaling $71 million, with payouts scheduled for early next month.
“Despite the sudden outbreak of war, rising raw material prices, and supply chain disruptions, we achieved record quarterly results thanks to our diverse product portfolio, stable production capacity, and growth in new business sectors,” Korea Zinc said in a statement.
“Down the road, we will keep putting forth efforts to maintain stable growth and solid profitability despite an uncertain global environment,” it added.
The company also said that it would focus corporate capabilities on the successful execution of Project Crucible, a $7.4 billion initiative to build an integrated smelter in Tennessee in partnership with the U.S. government.
The program aims to roll out 13 types of nonferrous metals, including 11 critical minerals, as well as semiconductor-grade sulfuric acid, beginning in 2029. Last month, Washington designated it under the FAST-41 permitting program for fast-track procedures.
The share price of Korea Zinc jumped 7.24% on the Seoul bourse Wednesday.
A revised North Korean constitution removes references to reunification with the South, a document shared by Seoul’s Unification Ministry showed Wednesday. Kim Jong Un, seen here at a party congress in February, was officially elevated to head of state. File Photo by KCNA/EPA
SEOUL, May 6 (UPI) — North Korea has revised its constitution to remove all references to reunification with South Korea, a document shared by Seoul’s Unification Ministry showed Wednesday, formalizing leader Kim Jong Un’s push to redefine inter-Korean ties as relations between two separate states.
The document, which was shared at a news conference by the ministry, removes language calling for the “peaceful reunification” of the Korean Peninsula that had been part of the North’s constitution since a 1992 revision.
The new version codifies a policy shift Kim first laid out in 2024, when he abandoned Pyongyang’s long-standing goal of reunification and defined South Korea as an adversary.
At a March meeting of North Korea’s rubber-stamp legislature, where the revision is believed to have been adopted, Kim called for recognizing South Korea as the “most hostile state.”
However, the revised constitution did not define South Korea as a “primary foe” or “hostile state,” despite Kim’s increasingly confrontational rhetoric toward Seoul, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The new constitution also introduces language defining North Korea’s territory as bordering China and Russia to the north and South Korea to the south.
It does not specifically address maritime boundary lines, including the de facto maritime border in the Yellow Sea known as the Northern Limit Line. The NLL, which was drawn unilaterally by the U.S.-led United Nations Command after the Korean War, has long been a source of tension between the two Koreas.
The waters around the boundary, which Pyongyang does not recognize, have been the site of multiple naval clashes since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, including the 2010 including the North’s 2010 torpedo attack on a South Korean warship that left 46 dead.
In January 2024, Kim called the line “illegal” and warned that even the slightest violation of the North’s territory would be considered a “war provocation.”
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sought to ease inter-Korean tensions since taking office in June, calling for the resumption of dialogue and making conciliatory gestures such as dismantling border propaganda loudspeakers.
Pyongyang has largely ignored those overtures while continuing to expand its military posture. In April, North Korea conducted several weapons tests, including tactical ballistic missiles with cluster bomb warheads and electronic warfare systems.
The revision also elevates Kim’s position as “head of state,” further consolidating his authority over state affairs and the country’s nuclear forces.
South Korea’s presidential office said Tuesday it would take several days to determine the cause of an explosion and fire aboard a carrier operated by South Korea’s HMM Co. in the Strait of Hormuz. In this photo, taken Tuesday, an employee enters an HMM office in Busan. Photo by Yonhap
The presidential office said Tuesday it will likely take several days to determine the cause of an explosion and fire aboard a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by South Korea’s HMM Co. in the Strait of Hormuz.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung made the remarks in a written briefing after senior presidential officials, including presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, held a meeting to discuss the response to the fire.
“It is expected to take several days to analyze the cause,” the spokesperson said. “The government will brief the public transparently after swiftly and accurately determining the cause of the incident.”
The spokesperson said the vessel will be towed to a nearby port using a tugboat for investigation, with investigators from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal and the National Fire Agency to be dispatched.
The explosion occurred at about 8:40 p.m. Monday (Korean time), while the HMM Namu was anchored in waters off the United Arab Emirates (UAE), HMM said. The fire began in the engine room, and crew members used carbon dioxide to fight the blaze for about four hours. No injuries were reported, the company said Tuesday.
HMM said security camera footage showed the fire had been put out and said it would later inspect the engine room to assess the damage.
The freighter had 24 crew members on board — six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals.
The cause of the explosion and fire, as well as the extent of the damage, is currently under investigation.
“It remains unclear whether the incident was caused by an external attack or an internal malfunction,” an HMM official said.
HMM said it plans to tow the freighter to Dubai, a process expected to take several days.
The spokesperson said South Korea is sharing relevant information with the United States, Iran and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
She said the oceans ministry and the Cheonghae naval unit operating in the Gulf of Aden are in communication with the HMM Namu, adding the government is in daily contact with the 26 South Korean ships anchored in the strait.
In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran has taken shots at a South Korean cargo ship and other targets as he called on Seoul to participate in a mission to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
The presidential office separately said it is reviewing Trump’s proposal by considering the readiness posture on the Korean Peninsula and domestic legal procedures.
“(We) are actively taking part in multiple international efforts for the swift stabilization, recovery and normalization of the global maritime logistics network.” it said. “In this context, (we) are paying attention to President Trump’s remarks.”
Industry officials said South Korean-operated ships in waters off the UAE were moving toward Qatar in line with government measures to steer clear of the Strait of Hormuz for safety.
The incident came after the U.S. launched an operation, called Project Freedom, this week to guide commercial vessels stranded by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran out of the waterway.
HMM operates five vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, including one container ship and two oil tankers.
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Park Wang-yeol (C), a South Korean national detained in the Philippines, arrives at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, 25 March 2026. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
May 1 (Asia Today) — South Korean police have taken custody of a man suspected of supplying drugs to a major narcotics figure, following his arrest in Thailand, authorities said Friday.
The suspect, identified only by his surname Choi, 51, is accused of smuggling and distributing about 22 kilograms of methamphetamine, valued at roughly 10 billion won ($7.4 million), into South Korea since 2019.
Police said Choi, who allegedly operated under the aliases “Cheongdam” or “Cheongdam Boss” on the messaging app Telegram, was identified as a key supplier to drug trafficker Park Wang-yeol, often referred to as a “drug kingpin.”
The National Police Agency’s drug and organized crime unit said it received custody of Choi from Thai authorities and has launched a full investigation into his activities and connections.
Investigators began tracking Choi while probing Park, who was previously arrested in the Philippines. Authorities combined five outstanding cases involving Choi and designated the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency as the lead investigative body.
Although no official departure record for Choi had been found since 2018, police developed intelligence suggesting he was living in Thailand. Working through liaison officers stationed in both countries, South Korean and Thai police coordinated the operation.
Authorities located Choi in Samut Prakan province, about an hour from Bangkok, and conducted a three-day joint surveillance operation before arresting him on April 10 on charges of illegal stay.
Police said the suspect was apprehended within seven days of the formal request for cooperation, and repatriated to South Korea about three weeks later with assistance from the South Korean Embassy in Thailand and related agencies.
Items seized at the time of arrest, including a passport under another person’s name and electronic devices, will undergo digital forensic analysis to determine links to Park and to identify additional accomplices and distribution networks.
Police said the investigation will expand to include possible conspiracy with Park, violations of passport laws and broader drug trafficking activities. Authorities are also pursuing asset recovery tied to alleged criminal proceeds.
Acting National Police Commissioner Yoo Jae-sung said interagency cooperation – including coordination with customs, financial regulators, tax authorities, the food and drug safety agency and the National Intelligence Service – has been mobilized to track and dismantle transnational drug networks.
“This case sends a clear message that drug criminals will be pursued and apprehended to the ends of the earth,” Yoo said.
A Korean Air plane takes off from Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, South Korea, 01 April 2026. Fuel surcharges for flights operated by South Korean airlines have surged by as much as threefold from the previous month in April due to the spike in global oil prices, industry watchers said. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
May 1 (Asia Today) — Fuel surcharges on airline tickets issued in South Korea nearly doubled Friday as carriers respond to a sharp rise in oil prices driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The airline industry said tickets issued this month will be subject to the highest surcharge level, Stage 33, for the first time since the current system was introduced in 2016.
Korean Air set one-way international fuel surcharges from 75,000 won ($51) to 564,000 won ($383), up from 42,000 won ($29) to 303,000 won ($206) in April. The lowest charge applies to short-haul routes such as Fukuoka and Qingdao, while the highest applies to long-haul destinations including New York, Atlanta, Washington and Toronto.
Asiana Airlines set its international one-way surcharge at 85,400 won ($58) to 476,200 won ($323), nearly double April’s range of 43,900 won ($30) to 251,900 won ($171).
Jeju Air, a low-cost carrier, will charge $52 to $126 one way on international flights departing South Korea, compared with $29 to $68 last month.
The higher surcharges are still not enough to fully offset rising costs. Some low-cost carriers saw fuel expenses rise more than 120% from the previous month and 130% from a year earlier, while surcharge revenue covered only about half of the increase.
Airlines are responding by cutting less profitable routes. Asiana expanded planned reductions on some international routes from eight flights to 13, while Jin Air plans to cut 131 flights across 14 routes this month after canceling 45 flights on eight routes in April.
Air Premia plans to cut 22 flights in July, including eight on the Incheon-Da Nang route, six to Los Angeles and four each to San Francisco and Honolulu.
Korean Air has not announced route reductions but is closely monitoring market conditions.
Containers for export are stacked at a port in Pyeongtaek, around sixty kilometers south of Seoul, South Korea, 22 February 2026. Photo by YONHAP /EPA
May 1 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s exports rose 48% from a year earlier in April, staying above $80 billion for the second consecutive month, government data showed Friday.
Exports totaled $85.89 billion, the second-highest monthly figure on record after $86.6 billion in March, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The increase was driven by strong semiconductor shipments, which surged 173.5% to $31.9 billion on rising demand tied to artificial intelligence. Chip exports exceeded $30 billion for the second straight month and set an April record.
Daily average exports, adjusted for working days, rose 48% to $3.58 billion, staying above $3 billion for a third consecutive month.
Auto exports fell 5.5% to $6.17 billion due to logistics disruptions from the Middle East, U.S. tariff effects and expanded overseas production. Exports of electric and hybrid vehicles continued to grow.
Petroleum product exports rose 39.9% to $5.11 billion by value due to higher oil prices, though shipment volume dropped 36% because of export controls on gasoline, diesel and kerosene.
Petrochemical exports increased 7.8% to $4.09 billion, while shipment volume fell 20.9% as companies expanded domestic supply.
Computer exports jumped 515.8% to $4.08 billion, and wireless communication device exports rose 11.6% to $1.62 billion.
By destination, exports to China rose 62.5% to $17.7 billion, marking six straight months of gains. Shipments to the United States increased 54% to $16.33 billion, while exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations rose 64% to $15.41 billion.
Exports to the European Union increased 8.5% to $7.19 billion. Shipments to the Middle East fell 25.1% to $1.27 billion due to logistics disruptions.
Imports rose 16.7% to $62.11 billion. Energy imports increased 7.5% to $10.61 billion, while non-energy imports rose 18.8% to $51.51 billion.
South Korea posted a trade surplus of $23.77 billion in April, extending its surplus streak to 15 months.
1 of 2 | Bruce Bechtol speaks at the International Council on Korean Studies (ICKS) annual conference titled “Challenges of the U.S.-South Korea Alliance 2026” at the Hudson Institute in Washington on Wednesday. Photo by Asia Today
May 1 (Asia Today) — North Korea has transferred missile technology to Iran over more than 40 years, evolving from early Scud missile supplies to capabilities approaching intercontinental ballistic missiles, while also helping build factories, underground facilities and naval systems, according to U.S. experts.
Bruce Bechtol made the assessment at the annual International Council on Korean Studies conference titled “Challenges of the U.S.-South Korea Alliance 2026,” co-hosted in Washington by the Hudson Institute and the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea.
Bechtol, co-author of the book Rogue Allies: Iran and North Korea’s Strategic Partnership, said Iran began acquiring Scud missiles in the early 1980s during the Iran-Iraq War. Initially supplied in limited numbers by Libya, Iran later established contact with North Korea and imported roughly 100 Scud missiles, which it used to strike Iraqi cities during what became known as the “War of the Cities.”
He said Iran subsequently ordered an additional 200 to 250 Scud-C missiles and, with North Korean assistance, produced and upgraded them domestically. This led to the development of Iran’s current short-range ballistic missile, the Qiam, which has an estimated range of about 800 kilometers.
Bechtol added that Iran attended North Korea’s Nodong missile test in 1993, along with a Pakistani delegation, and later signed a contract to acquire about 150 Nodong missiles. North Korean engineers helped build production facilities near Isfahan, where Iran manufactured the missiles under the name Shahab-3.
He said North Korean specialists further modified these systems, leading to the development of the Emad missile, with a range of about 1,750 kilometers, and the Ghadr missile, with a range of about 1,900 kilometers. Both systems have been used repeatedly and are capable of reaching targets across Israel.
Bechtol also said North Korea sold 19 Musudan missiles – based on the Soviet-era submarine-launched ballistic missile R-27 – to Iran after obtaining the technology from Russian scientists following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He noted that Iran modified the missile for land-based launch, which introduced structural instability and limited its success rate to about 50%.
Based on the Musudan platform, Iran developed the Khorramshahr missile, which can carry a warhead approximately four times heavier than the original design and has an estimated range of 2,000 kilometers. The Israeli military has estimated its penetration rate at about 8%.
Bechtol cited media reports that North Korea transferred 80-ton-class rocket boosters – equivalent to first-stage propulsion systems for intercontinental ballistic missiles – to Iran even during negotiations over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. He noted that the United States imposed sanctions on both countries in 2016 and 2019 in response.
He said a 2021 report by a United Nations panel of experts also detailed such transfers and assessed that technologies similar to those used in North Korea’s Hwasong-12 and Hwasong-15 missiles had been shared with Iran.
Bechtol further claimed that ballistic missiles fired by Iran toward the U.S.-U.K. base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in March – from a distance of about 4,000 kilometers – were based on North Korean technology.
Beyond missiles, North Korea has supported Iran and its allied groups by providing military hardware and infrastructure. Bechtol said Pyongyang sold 14 Yono-class submarines – the same type used in the 2010 sinking of South Korea’s Cheonan warship – and helped build production facilities for them. North Korea also supplied 46 fast infiltration boats and assisted in constructing related manufacturing sites.
He said North Korean engineers were involved in building underground nuclear-related facilities in Natanz and Isfahan, which he described as difficult to destroy without the use of U.S. B-2 bombers.
Bechtol also pointed to evidence that North Korean weapons were used by Hamas during its October 2023 attack on Israel, including 122 mm rockets, anti-tank weapons, Type 73 machine guns and Type 58 rifles marked in Korean.
Separately, an Israeli research center reported that North Korean arms exporter Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation helped build two tunnels in Lebanon for Hezbollah, measuring about 25 miles (40 kilometers) and 45 miles (72 kilometers), at a cost of about $13 million.
Bechtol said North Korea has also generated significant revenue through military cooperation. Citing research from the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, he estimated that Pyongyang earned about $20 billion over roughly 15 months from transactions with Russia since late 2023 – close to its annual gross domestic product of about $26 billion.
Andrew Scobell said cooperation among China, Russia, Iran and North Korea – sometimes referred to as “CRINK” – is not a formal multilateral alliance but rather a collection of bilateral relationships.
Scobell added that North Korea appears to have exercised restraint in supplying weapons to Iran following U.S. and Israeli strikes earlier this year, citing intelligence assessments reported by international media.
Former U.N. sanctions panel expert William Newcomb said North Korea’s proliferation activities have contributed significantly to instability in the Middle East and called for a comprehensive assessment of their global economic impact, suggesting the cost could exceed $1 trillion.
Scobell also noted that North Korea’s strategic value to Russia could decline significantly if the war in Ukraine ends, indicating that the current level of cooperation is closely tied to ongoing conflict dynamics.
