Seoul: North Korea and Belarus are on the verge of finalizing a visa-waiver agreement for ordinary citizens, as reported by Belarus' state media. According to Yonhap News Agency, the Belarusian news agency BelTA revealed that discussions took place on Sunday between Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov and his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui, about enhancing their mutual relations, including the prospective visa-waiver deal.

In other developments, North Korea is preparing to send around 100 athletes to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. A senior official from the country's National Olympic Committee (NOC) shared this information on Tuesday. Speaking to the Choson Sinbo, a Tokyo-based pro-North newspaper, NOC Secretary General Ko Chol-ho expressed optimism that the North Korean delegation would secure more medals at the upcoming event compared to previous games, despite the reduced number of athletes and participation in fewer sports.

In Washington, a U.S. official stated on Wednesday that there has been "no change" in the U.S. policy toward North Korea, amidst growing concerns about the Trump administration's commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea. The official's comments were in response to a query by Yonhap News Agency regarding whether the administration's goal still includes the "complete" denuclearization of North Korea.

Additionally, in Seoul, Jared Diamond, a renowned U.S. scholar, suggested on Thursday that South Korea should avoid publicly "bad-mouthing" North Korea to facilitate peaceful coexistence with Pyongyang. Diamond, known for his best-selling book "Guns, Germs and Steel," made these remarks at a forum, citing Finland's diplomatic approach towards Russia as an example of maintaining a peaceful relationship for over 80 years.