Tag: Korea

Satellite imagery reveals increased activity at North Korean nuclear complex

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At North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Complex, heightened activity observed on satellite imagery indicates that Pyongyang is increasing its capacity to produce nuclear weapons, experts told Radio Free Asia. The imagery shows new buildings and plumes of steam in previously inactive areas of the complex, which lies roughly 90 kilometers (56 miles) north of the capital. North Korea has long claimed that Yongbyon serves peaceful, civilian energy purposes, but the international community and monitoring organizations say that the complex produces fissile materials to produce nuclear weapons. The increased activity observed in…

Heat maps show largest greenhouse farm in North Korea at less than half capacity

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Months after North Korea unveiled the country’s largest-ever greenhouse farm, analysts told Radio Free Asia that satellite imagery shows less than half of the farm is operational, likely due to power shortages. According to state media, the country’s leader Kim Jong Un personally guided the construction of the Sinuiju Greenhouse Farm Complex. It has been touted as a way to rejuvenate Wihwa, Mado and Kumdong islands in the Yalu River, near the border with China, which were leveled by flooding in 2024. At the farm complex’ dedication in February, Kim…

North Korean operatives use fake identities to apply for tech jobs

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North Korean operatives are infiltrating global tech companies using fake identities to land six-figure jobs and funnel hundreds of millions back to the regime. An independent researcher turned a routine job interview into an intelligence operation when he identified a North Korean IT worker applying under a false identity. RFA’s Jaewoo Park sat down with him to understand how these operatives evade detection. North Korean IT worker exposed while seeking jobRadio Free Asia

North Korean hackers offer $70,000 per month to be their front

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Cybersecurity engineer Toufik Airane was approached by a North Korean hacker who offered him a small fortune in exchange for use his of his identity—and he has the screenshots to prove it. Airane revealed to RFA Korean’s Jaewoo Park that after interacting with mysterious figures online, he found himself in a videocall with an East Asian man going by the name “Benjamin,” who promised him big bucks. The deal? “Benjamin,” would pose as Airane in remote job interviews and once hired, the two would split the job’s salary. Screenshots of…

Photos: North Korea shows off new intercontinental missile at military parade

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Nuclear-armed North Korea displayed its most advanced Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, described by the North Korean government as the country’s “strongest nuclear strategic weapon system,” state media said on Saturday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the large military parade displaying its new intercontinental ballistic missile in front of visiting international dignitaries. A military parade celebrates the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this image released October 11, 2025 by the North Korean government.(KCNA via Reuters) The parade,…

North Korean soldiers who fought with Russian troops against Ukraine celebrated

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RFA Perspectives — North Korean soldiers who fought alongside Russian troops against Ukraine marched through Kim Il Sung Square on Friday, carrying the flags of Russia and North Korea as part of the Workers’ Party 80th Anniversary celebrations. Video: North Korea soldiers who fought alongside Russia celebrated at Workers’ Party anniversaryThe soldiers marched to the Russian patriotic song “To Serve Russia,” a rare and symbolic display of solidarity between Pyongyang and Moscow. According to estimates, around 2,000 North Korean soldiers were killed while supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. And reports…

‘This is fake’ — How North Korea uses AI and deepfakes as a weapon

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RFA Perspectives — Deepfake and AI videos are created from tools anyone can download. North Korean hackers are already using the same tools as a weapon. Video: ‘This is fake’ How North Korea is weaponizing AI and deepfake technologyRecently, South Korea’s cybersecurity firm Genians revealed that a North Korean hacking group used AI-generated deepfake military IDs to impersonate defense agencies and launch phishing attacks. Their targets? Officials, journalists, human-rights activists, and researchers. This isn’t new. North Korean IT workers have long used AI and deepfakes to build fake identities—sometimes even…

Kim open to talks if U.S. drops denuclearization demand

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he is open to talks with the United States, but only if Washington drops its demand that Pyongyang abandon its nuclear weapons program. Kim made the remarks during a recent session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, state-run Korean Central Television (KCTV) reported Monday. He said he has “good memories” of President Trump from their previous summits and would consider talking if the United States changes its stance. The statement marked Kim’s first public response to Trump’s recent overtures and underscored the gulf between…

Analysis: Kim Jong Un’s daughter steps into ‘successor spotlight’

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RFA Perspectives — North Korea’s Kim Jong-un recently visited Beijing with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae. South Korea’s intelligence agency suggests she may be stepping into the “successor spotlight.” Video: Kim Jong Un’s daughter could be North Korea successorMany expected Kim Ju Ae to appear at Beijing’s iconic sites, similar to how Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s son, Nikolai, appeared at China’s Tiananmen military parade 10 years ago. But that didn’t happen. During Kim Jong-un’s 54-hour stay, Kim Ju Ae was never seen at official events. According to the South Korean…

North Koreans have grown more repressed, fearful in the past decade, U.N. report says

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North Korea is the most restrictive country in the world, with the government tightening control over its citizens, intensifying surveillance and unleashing torrents of propaganda, according to a sweeping United Nations report released on Friday. The 14-page report, published by the U.N.’s Human Rights Office, covers developments in the country since 2014 and draws detail from interviews with more than 300 witnesses and victims who had left the country. Interviewees said that government control had seeped into “all parts of life,” the report said. “To block the people’s eyes and…