Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang have confirmed the deployment.

Lazarus Group gained notoriety a decade ago when it was accused of hacking into Sony Pictures as revenge for "The Interview," a film that mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The agreement formalises months of tightening military bonds between two nations that were Communist allies throughout the Cold War.

BTS member J-Hope more recently marked a significant milestone as the second BTS member to fulfil his mandatory military service, bringing fans of the renowned seven-member South Korean boy band a step nearer to the group’s anticipated reunion. 

Talent, discipline and a desire to please leader Kim Jong Un have helped propel North Korea's youth footballers to two Women's World Cup crowns in a matter of weeks, experts say.

They beat Spain on penalties Sunday in the Dominican Republic to clinch a record third Women's World Cup at under-17 level, adding it to their title in the under-20 version in September.

The missile was launched on a sharply lofted trajectory from an area near the North's capital and splashed down about 300 km (190 miles) west of Japan's Hokkaido, recording the North's longest ever ICBM flight time.

The roads and railways have long been shuttered, but destroying them sends a clear message that Kim is not prepared to negotiate with the South, experts said.

China and North Korea are traditional socialist allies, and Beijing has long provided crucial support for Pyongyang's diplomatically isolated government.

Pyongyang has denied any sanctions-busting weapons trade with Russia, but with diplomacy long stalled, it declared South Korea its "principal enemy" this year and recently moved nuclear-capable weapons to border areas.

The country would reopen to foreign tourists this winter

North Korean Olympians have not received Samsung smartphones, unlike athletes from other countries, the IOC told AFP on Thursday, hours after Seoul suggested that providing them the phones could violate UN sanctions against the nuclear-armed North.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un exchanged their inmost thoughts and opened their minds to further develop relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a major ceremony in Pyongyang's main square Wednesday, Russian agencies reported, kicking off a summit

North Korea has formal relations with 159 countries, but had 53 diplomatic missions overseas, including three consulates and three representative offices, until it pulled out of Angola and Uganda, according to the ministry.

North and South Korea clash on the football pitch and India do battle with Pakistan in hockey as fierce rivalries take centre stage at the Asian Games on Saturday.

The possibility of talks between nuclear-armed North Korea and Washington is "narrowing", Pyongyang has said after the US State Department reaffirmed its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

North Korea says it successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the sea to contain external threats and bolster self-defence, ahead of fresh nuclear talks with the United States.

North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast, the South Korean military has said, the latest in a series of launches in recent weeks amid stalled denuclearisation talks.

North Korea threatens to carry out more weapons tests after it fired its fourth pair of projectiles in less than two weeks following the start of joint exercises between the US and the South.