World shares have begun the new year on an upbeat note, with benchmarks in Britain and South Korea hitting records.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on a state visit starting on Sunday, signalling Beijing's intent to strengthen ties with Seoul amidst strained relations with Japan over Taiwan.

Kim Jong Un pledges "unlimited" nuclear development as North Korea test-fires new cruise missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads in war preparations.

South Korea said it will formally end its dwindling yet much-criticized bear bile farming industry this week, though about 200 bears are still kept in pens and raised for their gallbladders.

North Korea's state media released photos Thursday of what it said was the hull of a nuclear submarine. Its leader denounced South Korea's plans to build its own subs as "an offensive act."

North Korea showed Kim Jong-un at a "nuclear submarine" site; analysts: it aims to justify its nuclear push and cast Seoul's sub debate as a threat.

South Korea is chasing a coal-free future in efforts to slash carbon emissions, an ambitious goal for the fossil fuel-dependent country

The debut followed the North’s first test of a new surface-to-air missile and the arrival of a U.S. nuclear-powered attack sub for a port call in South Korea.

South Korea’s terrestrial broadcasters wrapped up the year with their annual drama awards ceremonies, events defined less by competitive clarity than by an unus