Pyongyang

South Korea's spy agency said Friday it had confirmed that a North Korean soldier sent to back Russia's war against Ukraine had been captured by Ukrainian forces.

Pyongyang has deployed thousands of troops to reinforce Russia's military, including in the Kursk border region where Ukraine mounted a shock border incursion in August.

The North Korean military today used explosives to destroy sections of roads once used for cross-border exchanges with South Korea, Seoul said in a new episode of rising tensions between the two nations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday told his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un that Beijing hoped to "deepen friendly... cooperation" with Pyongyang, as the two leaders exchanged messages to mark a major diplomatic anniversary.

Vladimir Putin said Thursday he does not rule out Russia sending arms to isolated North Korea in what Washington called an "incredibly concerning" statement that threatens instability on the divided Korean peninsula.

On a trip to Vietnam following a state visit to Pyongyang where Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defence pact, Putin also warned South Korea not to arm Ukraine.

In Pyongyang, Russian and North Korean leaders have signed a broad strategic partnership agreement, as reported by TASS. Yuri Ushakov, an adviser to Vladimir Putin, clarified that the agreement covers various aspects including security issues.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday hailed North Korea for "firmly supporting" Moscow's war in Ukraine ahead of a visit to Pyongyang set to boost defense ties between the two nuclear-armed countries.

North Korea said on Monday it had developed a new control system for a multiple rocket launcher that would lead to a "qualitative change" in its defence capabilities.

North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament has voted to abolish laws on economic cooperation with the South, state media said Thursday, as relations between the two neighbours hit new lows.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday that the North's "irrational" regime was likely to carry out multiple provocations, including cyberattacks and drone intrusions, ahead of the South's April election.

China's vice foreign minister met with North Korea's top diplomats in Pyongyang on Friday, state media said, as the nuclear-armed state has accelerated its weapons testing and threats toward Seoul in recent months.