Thae Yong Ho, the No. 2 diplomat at North Korea's embassy in London, recently arrived in South Korea, according to officials in Seoul. He is said to be among the highest-ranking officials to defect.
North Korea's powerful are gathering for their first ruling party congress in decades. Kim Jong Un is working to consolidate his power at home — and regionally — with an expanded nuclear arsenal.
At North Korea's first Workers' Party Congress in 36 years, Kim declares "unprecedented results" in recent nuclear and missile tests. He's shown greater willingness to speak publicly than his father.
A cooking show featuring Kim Jong Un is reportedly a hit in North Korea. Though it's a setup ripe for satire, NPR's Scott Simon says millions of starving North Koreans make it too serious for jokes.
It's not possible to verify the claim, which follows a series of weapons tests from the isolated nation. North Korea says this engine would boost its ability to launch a nuclear attack on the U.S.
The isolated nation has undertaken a series of provocative steps, launching missiles and bombastic rhetoric. Analysts are debating what leader Kim Jong Un is trying to achieve.
North Koreans know little about the outside world. Activists are smuggling in flash drives — loaded with documentaries, TV shows and Wikipedia — to help change that.
Officials from South Korea's intelligence agency say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's latest high-level purge took place in front of hundreds of onlookers at a shooting range.