8 h. ago ‘Even if I was shot, I was fine with that’: a North Korean’s journey to freedom

A man whose early life in North Korea was so bleak that he was prepared to be shot in the back while making a break for freedom across the Chinese border has told his story after defecting to Japan in 2017. The man is one of many to have become involved with an Osaka-based charity that addresses North Korean human rights issues. The organisation provides speaking opportunities for North Korean defectors on podcasts and other platforms, allowing them to share information about the realities of...

Politics

47 h. ago Navy Seals killed North Korean civilians in botched 2019 mission: US report

US Navy Seals shot and killed a number of North Korean civilians during a botched covert mission to plant a listening device in the nuclear-armed country during high-stakes diplomatic negotiations in 2019, The New York Times reported on Friday. Citing unidentified sources, including current and former military officials with knowledge of the still-classified details, the newspaper said US President Donald Trump approved the operation during his first administration, as he was involved in...

Events

60 h. ago Absence of North Korean leader's daughter at Beijing events tempers speculation

Absence of North Korean leader's daughter at Beijing events tempers speculation  Korea JoongAng Daily

Politics

3 d. ago How Chinese view US rivalry, Beijing’s deterrence muscle: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. What do ordinary Chinese think of US rivalry and Russian, North Korean allies? Americans tend to believe that China wants to create a new world order to knock the United States off its perch, but the results of a survey released this week suggest Chinese people are far more nuanced and flexible in this view, providing avenues to reduce US-China tension,...

Politics

3 d. ago North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping  ABC News

Politics

3 d. ago Chinese leader Xi holds talks with North Korea’s Kim in Beijing

President Xi Jinping is holding talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Beijing, state media reported, in their first sit-down in six years. Thursday’s meeting came a day after Kim appeared with Xi, alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Tiananmen Square for a Victory Day military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It was the first time that the three leaders had gathered in the same place, in what was viewed as a rare show of unity against the West and...

Politics

3 d. ago China stands firm on strategic ties with North Korea, Xi tells Kim

Beijing is willing to deepen strategic coordination with Pyongyang in regional and international affairs to safeguard “mutual interests”, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday in his first sit-down with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in six years. “The Chinese Communist Party and government attach great importance to the traditional friendship between China and North Korea and are willing to maintain, consolidate, and develop China-North Korea relations,” he said, according to state...

Politics

3 d. ago Chinese hold nuanced views of US rivalry and Russia, North Korea friendships

Americans tend to believe that China wants to create a new world order to knock the United States off its perch, but the results of a survey released this week suggest Chinese people are far more nuanced and flexible in this view, providing avenues to reduce US-China tension, experts said on Wednesday. The survey of ordinary Chinese, by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and The Carter Centre, depicts a public that is optimistic about their nation’s future, economy, military and culture. They...

Politics

3 d. ago What do ordinary Chinese think of US rivalry and Russian, North Korean allies?

Americans tend to believe that China wants to create a new world order to knock the United States off its perch, but the results of a survey released this week suggest Chinese people are far more nuanced and flexible in this view, providing avenues to reduce US-China tension, experts said on Wednesday. The survey of ordinary Chinese, by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and The Carter Centre, depicts a public that is optimistic about their nation’s future, economy, military and culture. They...

Politics

3 d. ago Western leaders parse China military parade displaying authoritarian strength

US and European leaders reacted with veneration, concern and stiffened resolve on Wednesday to China’s epic military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 25 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at the showcase event marked by intimidating weaponry and choreographed troop manoeuvres. “I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing...

Events

3 d. ago Western leaders parse China military parade displaying national pride

US and European leaders reacted with veneration, concern and stiffened resolve on Wednesday to China’s epic military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Over 25 foreign leaders – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – joined Chinese President Xi Jinping at the showcase event marked by intimidating weaponry and choreographed troop manoeuvres. “I thought it was very, very impressive, but I understood the reason they were doing...

Events

4 d. ago China parades statecraft and hardware as world faces ‘critical’ choices

China crowned a busy week of grand diplomacy with a spectacular military parade on Wednesday, sending a message to the world that it has the determination and strength to champion a multipolar global order as geopolitical challenges rise. Flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and leaders from 26 countries, President Xi Jinping gave a keynote speech on top of the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the war against...

Events

4 d. ago Kim Jong Un has brought his daughter to Beijing: who is the possible North Korean heir?

Kim Jong Un has brought his daughter to Beijing: who is the possible North Korean heir?  Stuff

Politics

4 d. ago North Korea's Kim and South Korean parliament speaker shake hands in Beijing

North Korea's Kim and South Korean parliament speaker shake hands in Beijing  Reuters

Politics

4 d. ago Kim pledges help in ‘any way’ for Russia’s war in Ukraine during Putin meeting

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to continue helping Moscow’s war in Ukraine in “any way” as he met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday. That meeting came only hours after US President Donald Trump made harsh accusations against both leaders as the brutal war in Ukraine continued. The bilateral summit between the two neighbours – the first in more than a year – revealed that it was Kim who took the initiative in sending military aid to Russia for its...

Politics

4 d. ago Russian, Chinese, North Korean leaders meet to 'conspire' against US, Trump says

Russian, Chinese, North Korean leaders meet to 'conspire' against US, Trump says  USA Today

Politics

5 d. ago Inside Kim Jong Un's bulletproof train as North Korean leader arrives in Beijing: Security guards, food, amenities

Inside Kim Jong Un's bulletproof train as North Korean leader arrives in Beijing: Security guards, food, amenities  Mint

Politics

5 d. ago North Korean leader's daughter appears to have joined him in Beijing, NIS says

North Korean leader's daughter appears to have joined him in Beijing, NIS says  Korea JoongAng Daily

Politics

5 d. ago North Korean leader en route to Beijing to attend 1st multilateral diplomatic event

North Korean leader en route to Beijing to attend 1st multilateral diplomatic event  Anadolu Ajansı

Politics

5 d. ago North Korean leader Kim in China ahead of historic meeting with Putin, Xi

North Korean leader Kim in China ahead of historic meeting with Putin, Xi  France 24

Politics