AFP - Scepticism is growing about the prospect of a second dynastic succession as North Korea prepares for a rare meeting expected to endorse the process, a welfare group with cross-border contacts said Wednesday.
AP - North Korea has changed the names of its trading companies and falsified trade documents to avoid international sanctions and continue exporting weapons, a news report and an intelligence official said Wednesday.
AFP - North Korea is forging trade documents and changing the names of its trading firms to try to dodge international sanctions, a Seoul intelligence official and a media report said Wednesday.
Reuters - North Korea vowed to strengthen military ties with China on Wednesday, days after the North's leader Kim Jong-il finished a visit aimed at bolstering the bond with his isolated country's sole major supporter.
AFP - After months of rising tension, the United States is gingerly exploring how to launch talks with North Korea without loosening the screws on the isolated state, experts say.
AFP - Former president Jimmy Carter on Tuesday gave a rundown on his visit to North Korea to the current US administration, which insisted that Pyongyang carry out commitments before any negotiations.