South Korea

North Korea has restarted operations at the Kaesong industrial zone, state-run web sites said on Friday, after the joint venture with South Korea was suspended last year amid disagreement over the North's nuclear and missile programs, Reuters reported.

In the turbine hall of the North Korean Water Power Plant "Wonson Number 5," a poster on the wall reads: "A thriving and strong country." But when it comes to electricity, the North is anything but that, writes Sebastian Bergze of the France press.

In 1988, the Seoul Summer Olympic Games were held in the Republic of Korea, introducing the Land of the Morning Calm to the world. It was a historic moment for Korea. Ravaged by the Korean War (1950-1953), the country had long been dependent on foreign aid. However, within 30 years, Korea achieved a level of economic growth commonly described as the Miracle on the Han River.

South Korea has approved a plan to send USD 8 million in humanitarian aid to North Korea, the South Korean reunification minister, Cho Ming-gion, said, reported by Sega. 

"We have repeatedly stated that we will continue to send humanitarian aid to North Korea in view of the poor conditions in which children and pregnant women live there despite political problems," he said.

The U.S. flew four stealth fighter jets and two bombers over the Korean peninsula yesterday in a show of force after North Korea's latest nuclear and missile tests, South Korea's defense ministry said.

Pacific leaders including Malcolm Turnbull have condemned North Korea, describing their behaviour as a threat to their region, News.com.au reported.

Pacific nations including Australia have jointly condemned North Korea's repeated attempts to test nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

It comes as little surprise that China is North Korea’s biggest trading partner, but whom else does the country trade with? According to The Observatory of Economic Complexity, a leading data visualization sitefor international trade data, India ($97.8 m), Pakistan ($43.1 m) and Burkina Faso ($32.8 m) are the top export destinations of North Korea after China ($2.34 b).

South Korea said its air force conducted an exercise with two U.S. nuclear-capable bombers above the Korean peninsula on Thursday, two days after a North Korean missile fired over Japan sharply raised tensions, Reuters reported.

American President Donald Trump has spoken of raining "fire and fury" on North Korea after Pyongyang, having tested missiles that could potentially hit US interests, announced that it was looking at a strike at the US Pacific territory of Guam. Sabre rattling is a part of the fraught ties between the two countries.

The billionaire head of South Korea's Samsung Group, Jay Y. Lee, was jailed for five years for bribery on Friday after a six-month trial over a scandal that brought down the president, reported Reuters.