Summary of external news of North Korea this week

North Korea and Belarus are reportedly close to signing a visa-waiver agreement for ordinary citizens, according to Belarusian state media. Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov discussed possible ways to strengthen bilateral relations with North Korean counterpart Choe Son-hui, including the pending agreement.

North Korea has announced its intention to send around 100 athletes to compete in 14 sports at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, according to a senior official from the country's National Olympic Committee. In an interview with a pro-North Korean newspaper, NOC Secretary General Ko Chol-ho expressed optimism that the delegation could win more medals than in previous games, despite the smaller size and fewer sports represented.

A U.S. official stated that there has been no change in U.S. policy toward North Korea amid growing concerns over the commitment to denuclearization. The official's remarks came in response to questions from Yonhap News Agency about whether President Donald Trump's administration remains dedicated to pursuing the complete denuclearization of North Korea.

Renowned U.S. scholar Jared Diamond suggested that South Korea should refrain from publicly criticizing North Korea to achieve peaceful coexistence. Diamond, known for his best-selling book "Guns, Germs, and Steel," made the suggestion during a forum in Seoul, acknowledging the Finnish government's long history of maintaining a peaceful relationship with Russia through non-confrontational diplomacy.