Mike Pence in Japan as U.S. seeks investment

South Korea's defense ministry has said that North Korea fired an existing intercontinental ballistic missile and not a new one in last week's test launch.

Hot on the heels of the success of "Drive My Car" at the Academy Awards, Ryusuke Hamaguchi returns with a three-part feature that puts his talent for dialogue and visual storytelling in the spotlight. Lisa Nesselson extolls the charms of "Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy" and tells us why the prolific Japanese filmmaker should be receiving armfuls of awards in the years to come.

North Korea celebrated its founding leader Kim II Sung's 110th birthday with a parade and performances. This year, however, there was no military parade during the celebrations.

A Japanese woman born at the dawn of the 20th century and believed to have been the world's oldest person died at age of 119, public broadcaster NHK said on Monday. Kane Tanaka, born in 1903, the year of the Wright Brothers' first controlled flight of their motor-driven airplane, was confirmed by Guinness World Records in 2019 as the oldest living person.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to speed up Pyongyang's nuclear development during a military parade to celebrate the founding of the country's armed forces.

Wishma Sandamali, a 33-year-old Sri Lankan woman, died in a Japanese detention centre in March of last year. Her death sparked debate on the treatment of the 1,500 asylum seekers currently in detention in Japan. Many of them claim they are being treated inhumanely. Despite its economic might, Japan takes in few refugees. In 2020, it accepted less than 100 asylum seekers, while France, whose population is half the size of Japan's, took in 24,000. Our correspondents report from the city of Nagoya, where Wishma died.

On a visit to Japan, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lauded Tokyo's support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's attack. He also stressed close German-Japanese ties.

North Korea launches long-range missile: DW's Frank Smith in Seoul

Some North Koreans are defying strict fashion and style regulations to fight conformity. But their expressions of individualism could cost them their freedom.

State media in North Korea has reported the deaths of six people with a "fever" a day after officials confirmed the country's first COVID-19 infection. More than 180,000 people are said to be isolated for treatment.

After more than two years of denying the virus had gained a foothold, Pyongyang is now struggling to handle thousands of suspected cases with limited medical capabilities.

North Korea on Sunday reported a total of 42 deaths from "fever" after admitting its first-ever COVID-19 cases days before. Lockdown policies have been implemented across the country, according to state-run media.