South Korean lawmakers say intelligence officials briefed them on the North's tough pandemic rules, including a Pyongyang lockdown and an execution of an official caught breaking restrictions.
Pyongyang says an unidentified man was found in North Korean waters and that he murmured he was from South Korea but then stopped responding to soldiers' questions and appeared to try to flee.
The 47-year-old fisheries official, whose name was not released, apparently jumped off a patrol boat near the maritime border between North and South and floated into North Korean waters.
With a view to reaching English-speaking and South Korean audiences, the videos show glimpses of Pyongyang, highlight consumerism and try to dispel notions that life is restricted and people are poor.
Her political star has risen since Kim Jong Un took power in 2011, leading to speculation that she could one day become the country's first female leader — if North Korea's patriarchy would allow it.
South Korea conscripted more than 30,000 soldiers between the ages of 14 to 17 for the war. An estimated 3,000 of them died. One survivor prays daily for their souls.
Pyongyang says forces will be sent to Kaesong, an inter-Korean industrial park along the border where a liaison office was blown up by North Korea earlier this week.
The office, north of the Demilitarized Zone, appears to have been empty when it was destroyed. The act follows threats from Pyongyang, and experts say provocations from the North will likely continue.
The move is the latest sign of deterioration in relations between North and South Korea. On Tuesday, North Korean officials did not answer a routine daily call from the South.
The North Korean leader's public absence and reports of a recent surgery have prompted a flurry of rumors about his health. But South Korean officials said Tuesday, "There is nothing we can confirm."
Pyongyang says it has mobilized to fight for its "national survival." Experts say North Korea's track record of fighting epidemics does not bode well for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
He stopped short of saying he was breaking off nuclear negotiations with the U.S. President Trump has repeatedly touted the testing moratorium as a political victory.
North Korea has threatened to send a "Christmas present" for the United States if sanctions aren't eased by the end of the year. Trump says he isn't worried about it.
With the holiday just days away and no sign of a diplomatic breakthrough in sight, here are what experts say are the possibilities for North Korea's "Christmas gift."
In an exclusive interview with NPR, former Ambassador John Bolton criticized his ex-boss' strategy, saying "there's no serious chance" North Korea will voluntarily give up its nuclear weapons program.
Pyongyang did not elaborate on the statement, but in 2017, state media referred to North Korea's first test launch of an ICBM as part of a "package of gifts" for the U.S.
Hours before a midnight deadline, South Korea reversed its decision to scrap a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan. The move came as the two U.S. allies have made progress on trade.
The ballistic missile traveled about 280 miles, landing in the Sea of Japan. If capable of submarine launch it would represent a significant advance in North Korea's missile program.
A mother and her young son were found dead in July, apparently of starvation. The case has refocused attention on the circumstances of defectors, who often struggle to start new lives in the South.
It wasn't immediately clear what type of weapon was tested early Friday, but South Korea's military noted the missiles traveled at hypersonic speeds and flew about 137 miles.
Pyongyang said the new multiple rocket system would cause "inescapable distress" to enemy forces. The test on Wednesday was first thought to be of a short-range ballistic missile.
The latest test of two short-range missiles follows a similar launch last week. It comes as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he is "hopeful" talks between Washington and Pyongyang will resume soon.
