Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth praises South Korea's plan to boost defense spending as the allies look to strengthen deterrence against North Korea.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to make greater efforts to persuade North Korea to return to talks, as the two leaders on Saturday agreed on a set of steps to expand their economic and other ties.

The project, which Russian state media has said will be nearly 3 miles long when completed, including access roads, is one of the initiatives that emerged from a comprehensive agreement signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the latter's visit to Pyongyang last year.

TOKYO: Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday (Nov 3) she has requested to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to resolve the long-standing issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang decades ago.

Ms Takaichi also vowed to work closely with other countries to pave the way for a resolution. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian defence forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast in January have asked to be transferred to South Korea and reportedly attempted to harm themselves. Source: Barron's citing AFP and Yonhap Details: The two prisoners of war made the request to be sent to South Korea during an interview for a documentary held on

President Lee Jae-myung said on the 1st regarding North Korea’s harsh expressions, including criticism directed at South Korea, “The intensity of the expressions seems to have significantly softened compared to the past.