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North Korea diplomacy

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Joon Shik Shin watches as Su Hee Cho & Co, a traditional Korean percussionist group, performs during a celebration of the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup in Parramatta Square.

Why these South Koreans are supporting North Korea in the Asian Cup

Joon Shik Shin is leading a group of fans to support the North Korea women’s team in the hope that it will be a small step towards peace in the peninsula.

  • Frances Howe

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The last US-Russia nuclear treaty has expired. What now?

Since the dawn of the nuclear age, there have been efforts to limit nuclear arms. What does this treaty’s lapse mean for the world?

  • Angus Holland
It’s not going to last: US President Donald Trump with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Buckle up for a volatile year of Trump-Xi bromance, Taiwan and Kim

Asia is heading into an increasingly precarious year, with deepening tensions that will have a cascading effect on all of us.

  • Karishma Vaswani
Donald Trump speaks to reporters on board Air Force One on Friday.

Trump doubles down on nuclear tests as Russia issues warning

The US president’s surprise remarks have drawn confusion inside and outside the government – and a reaction from the Kremlin that risks restarting the Cold War.

  • Reuters
This photo provided by the North Korean government shows what it says is a new intercontinental ballistic missile called the Hwasong-20.

North Korea flaunts new missiles ​as top Chinese and Russian officials look on

The presence of Chinese and Russian leaders at the latest Pyongyang mega-parade underlines Kim Jong-un’s rising star as a geopolitical partner against the West.

  • Choe Sang-Hun
Kim’s letters to Trump suggest a young, insecure man who is grateful for being taken seriously by the most powerful man in the world.

Rubbish balloons, K-pop and ghostly wailing: How life’s changing on Korean border

For Cho Yong-hae and his neighbours, ghostly wailing sounds blasting their village have finally stopped. But for the West, the problem is only growing louder.

  • Lisa Visentin and Sean Na
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Latest satellite images show the ship floating in the port of Chongjin.

North Korea raises capsized warship damaged in botched launch

It wasn’t immediately clear what condition the ship is in from lying in the water for several days after the launch failure, which Kim Jong-un labelled “a criminal act”.

  • Kim Tong-hyung
CORRECTS SOURCE- This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows North Korea's new naval destroyer on May 18, 2025, in Chongjin, North Korea.  (Maxar Technologies via AP)

Failure to launch: Who’s to blame for Kim Jong-un’s dockside disaster?

Destined to be the pride of his revamped navy, the recent launch of North Korea’s latest warship turned into an embarrassment for Kim Jong-un and his regime.

  • Choe Sang-Hun and Jiawei Wang
Year 12 students Kim Jhanggui (right), 17, and Jo Kyeongfa (left), 18, say the school’s education has helped them connect with their Korean identity.

‘In here you only learn about the good things’: Inside a North Korean school

At Aichi Korean Middle and High School, teachers and students are fighting to preserve their identity, while the outside world is suspicious of their ties to a hostile dictatorship.

  • Lisa Visentin, Stella Perry and Christopher Jue
In this undated photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches an artillery exercise at an undisclosed place in North Korea.

China and North Korea mark 75th anniversary of ties with vows of cooperation

China is by far North Korea’s largest trading partner, and the two share a history going back to Beijing’s support of Pyongyang during the 1950-1953 Korean War.

  • Reuters and Hyunjoo Jin