Korean Peninsula A to Z ㅣ KBS WORLD Radio

The Korean War,
and a Panorama of 70 Years

At 4 a.m. on Sunday, June 25, 1950, North Korea launched a surprise attack against South Korea to ignite the Korean War, a tragic fratricidal conflict.
70 years have passed since then.
The sound of gunfire and cries of victims stopped long ago, but the pain of national division still remains.
While South and North Korea have feuded and clashed with each other occasionally, they have never given up hope for a peaceful, unified Korea.
Let’s look back on the paths the two Koreas have walked over the past seven decades.

scroll down

News

Main News N. Korean Leader Vows to Develop Ties with China North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly met with China’s top legislator, Zhao Leji, on Saturday to discuss ways to develop bilateral relations. The North’s state Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Sunday that Kim met with Zhao, China’s third-highest ranking official, the previous day at the headquarters of the Workers’ Party’s Central Committee in Pyongyang. During the luncheon meeting, the two sides reportedly discussed ways to enhance and expand exchanges and cooperation to develop friendly relations on the occasion of the China-North Korea Friendship Year. Kim reportedly stressed that Zhao's visit has great significance in demonstrating the invincibility of the North Korea-China friendship and further developing the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries as required by the times. Kim then hoped that the two countries would steadily develop these durable traditions of friendship so they would see progress and fruition in the North Korea-China Friendship Year. The KCNA said the talks were held in a kind, sincere and comradely atmosphere, adding that Zhao and his delegation left Pyongyang on Saturday. Zhao is the highest-level Chinese official to visit North Korea since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Chinese delegation led by Zhao arrived in the North on Thursday for a three-day trip to attend the opening ceremony of the China-North Korea Friendship Year, which marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Beijing and Pyongyang. 2024-04-14

Main News China's Top Official Hopes for Enhanced High-Level Exchanges with N. Korea China's top legislator, Zhao Leji, has said that China hopes to enhance high-level exchanges with North Korea to develop bilateral relations. Zhao, China's third-highest ranking official, made the remarks on Thursday during a meeting with Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, on the first day of his trip to North Korea, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. A Chinese delegation led by Zhao arrived in the North on Thursday for a three-day trip to attend the opening ceremony of the “China-North Korea Friendship Year,” which will mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Beijing and Pyongyang. The Chinese foreign ministry said that during the meeting in Pyongyang, Zhao expressed China's hopes to enhance high-level exchanges and deepen reciprocal cooperation with North Korea during the Friendship Year. Zhao said China is willing to seek personnel and cultural exchanges and strengthen strategic cooperation with the North, and promote the continuous development of bilateral relations. The Chinese official added that it has always been Beijing’s unwavering strategic policy to maintain, consolidate and develop relations with Pyongyang, quoting Chinese President Xi Jinping. In response, Choe expressed hopes that the two nations will deepen cooperation and exchanges in various areas and develop friendly, cooperative bilateral relations under the guidance of their leaders. Zhao is the highest-level Chinese official to visit North Korea since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. During his visit, Zhao is expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 2024-04-12

Main News Minister: N. Korea Likely to Launch Spy Satellite in Mid-April Defense minister Shin Won-sik said on Monday that North Korea is likely to launch its spy satellite in the middle of this month. The minister made the remarks to reporters while observing the country's second military spy satellite launched from a U.S. space center on Monday morning. The minister said South Korea has been closely watching the North, thinking that the launch may happen in March, but the regime appears to be making some complementary measures. Shin said Pyongyang would probably seek to launch it on April 15, the birth anniversary of the North's late founder Kim Il-sung, but if it needs to make additional technological complementation, the launch may be delayed until late April. Regarding the inter-Korean technological gap in reconnaissance satellites, the minister said Seoul is far ahead of Pyongyang and that South Korean satellites equipped with synthetic aperture radar are world class in terms of performance capabilities. 2024-04-08

Main News UNHRC Adopts Resolution Condemning N. Korea's Human Rights Violations The United Nations Human Rights Council(UNHRC) has adopted a resolution condemning the human rights violations of North Korea for the 22nd consecutive year. The UNHRC on Thursday adopted the resolution by consensus without a vote during the 55th regular session at the UN office in Geneva, Switzerland. China, Eritrea and Cuba did not join the consensus. The resolution on the issue, first adopted in 2003 by the Human Rights Commission, the predecessor of the UNHRC, has now been adopted for 22 consecutive years. The resolution condemns the systematic and widespread human rights violations in the North, urges Pyongyang to take measures to stop the violations and calls for related countries to respect the principle of non-refoulement. This year’s resolution includes a demand for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to present a comprehensive report on the human rights situation in the North at the 60th session of the UNHRC set for September next year. South Korea welcomed the UNHRC’s adoption of the resolution. The foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday that this year marks the tenth anniversary of the release of the UN Commission of Inquiry report on human rights in North Korea, and noted that the adoption of the latest resolution demonstrates the international community’s concerns over the human rights situation in the North. 2024-04-05

Making Peace Together 2018 Inter-Korean Summit Pyongyang Date: Sept. 18-20, 2018 (Tues.-Thurs) Venue: Pyongyang(North Korea) Results: Pyongyang Declaration VIEW MORE

Timeline of recent events on the Korean Peninsula VIEW MORE

News

Infographics

Archive