Kim Jong Un

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wrapped up the year with fresh threats of a nuclear attack on Seoul and orders for a military arsenal build-up to prepare for a war that can "break out any time" on the peninsula, state media reported Sunday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has recently issued orders to the country's military, emphasizing the need to expedite war preparations in response to what he perceives as increasingly hostile actions by the United States.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged his party to "accelerate" war preparations including its nuclear programme, state media said Thursday.

The comments came just a week after Kim warned Pyongyang would not hesitate to launch a nuclear attack if "provoked" with nukes.

South Korea has sanctioned the head of North Korea's intelligence agency over illicit cyber activities following Pyongyang's recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

Recent reports from the UN nuclear watchdog and independent experts suggest that North Korea has initiated operations at a new reactor within the Yongbyon nuclear complex. This reactor could potentially produce plutonium, fueling concerns about the nation's nuclear weapons program, according to Reuters.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned Pyongyang will not hesitate to launch a nuclear attack if "provoked with nukes", state media said Thursday, while Seoul and its allies called for "dialogue without preconditions".

South Korea, the United States and Japan on Tuesday activated a system to share real-time data on North Korean missile launches, Seoul's defence ministry said, as the three countries seek to bolster security cooperation against the nuclear-armed North.

North Korea's ambassador made a rare appearance at the UN Security Council on Monday to defend his country's launch of a spy satellite, as leader Kim Jong Un studied images including of the White House and Pentagon.

Western powers, Japan and South Korea have said North Korea violated Security Council resolutions by launching the satellite last week.

North Korea has launched its first "tactical nuclear attack submarine" as part of its effort to strengthen its naval force, state media said Friday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over the unveiling ceremony on Wednesday, saying the sub was part of a "push forward with the nuclear weaponisation of the Navy", according to state news agency KCNA.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expects to make a rare trip abroad to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Russia to discuss providing arms to Moscow for its war in Ukraine, the United States said Monday.