Defections appear to be on the rise, but it's difficult to tell what that means about relations between North and South — or the stability of Kim Jong Un's regime.
Pyongyang responded to the start of the 12-day Ulchi Freedom Guardian drills by threatening to turn the South into a "heap of ashes through a Korean-style pre-emptive nuclear strike."
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.
On a beach resort in southern South Korea, the government sponsors camps each year where kids as young as 11 are taught about North Koreans, to prepare for a peaceful "reunification" — one day.
Experts say code used by hackers in recent attacks on banks appears to be the same as code used in an attack on Sony Pictures which the FBI says was carried out by North Korea.
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.
North Korea's leader was speaking at the country's highest-level political gathering since 1980. This comes after it has conducted a series of provocative weapons tests.