Pyongyang

In a report on state news agency KCNA, Pyongyang's military claimed its soldiers helped Russian forces "completely liberate" the Kursk border region, according to an order given by leader Kim Jong Un.

North Korea has staged the Pyongyang International Marathon for the first time in six years, welcoming some 200 foreign runners to pound the streets of the reclusive country's capital.

Entwined on these YouTube channels are narratives of the opposition Democratic Party being obsequious to Beijing and trying to curry favour with Pyongyang.

It was an echo of the anti-communist rhetoric that past military dictators and subsequent conservative leaders have frequently invoked against South Korean liberals, who have long been defined by their support for reconciliation with Pyongyang.

Mr Patton Rogers said it "should be of concern to South Korea and the international community" that Pyongyang was now developing such capabilities.