SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Senior North Korean and Russian military officials discussed strengthening cooperation in their latest talks this week in Pyongyang, North Korean state media said Friday, as the two countries continue to align over Russia’s war in Ukraine.

SEOUL, South Korea -- Kim Yong Nam, a longtime North Korean ceremonial head of state best known for his trademark propaganda-filled speeches with a deep, booming voice in support of the ruling Kim dynasty, has died, state media reported Tuesday.

North Korea is preparing for a potential summit meeting between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump as the idea was broached during Trump’s recent visit to Asia, based on an assessment by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un led a state funeral for the country’s longtime ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam, who died this week at age 97.

Vice Foreign Minister Kim Ji-na says South Korea could adjust its sanctions posture if needed, citing threats from North Korean crypto theft.

North Korea on Friday fired at least one ballistic missile toward its eastern waters, South Korea’s military said, as Pyongyang steps up its testing activity while talks with Washington and Seoul remain stalled.

Meeting between US President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un necessary for reviving inter-Korean relations, says Unification Minister Chung Dong-young - Anadolu Ajansı