North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended New Year's celebrations in Pyongyang on Wednesday. North Korea's official state media reported Kim's attendance at the event at May Day stadium, which they said was attended by up to 150,

Decorations celebrating the New Year adorned the North Korean capital on Thursday. North Korea strictly controls religion, so seasonal holidays are presented as neutral, unless they are domestic celebrations of the ruling family or traditional Korean cultural dates.

Pyongyang will likely open room for a summit meeting with Washington while excluding dialogue opportunities with Seoul.

With ties between the Koreas at rock bottom, South Korea's Lee Jae Myung is advancing several initiatives aimed to build bridges with the Kim Jong Un regime — including one focusing on the martial art of taekwondo.

North Korea is also expected to further bolster its defence capabilities in the upcoming years. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

South Korea and nuclear-armed North Korea are still officially at war, and Seoul has long banned all access to Pyongyang's propaganda on security grounds. Many restrictions still apply-North Korean websites are still inaccessible from South Korean IP addresses.

Kim urges 'unlimited and sustained' development of nuclear combat forces as North Korea gears up for key party congress.

Analysts in Seoul say suspicions of Russian assistance are difficult to dismiss. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.