SEOUL, July 31 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of inter-Korean news this week.

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N. Korea covers inter-Korean border building in screens for apparent renovation work

SEOUL -- North Korea has installed screens around its building inside the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom to block it from public view, apparently for ongoing renovation work, military sources said Monday.

The screens covering the Panmungak facility, located on the northern side of the Joint Security Area (JSA), were erected in April in what appeared to be part of renovation efforts, military sources with knowledge of the matter said.

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S. Korea closely monitoring Russia's reported preparation for more N. Korean troops: foreign ministry

SEOUL -- The foreign ministry said Monday it is closely monitoring military cooperation between North Korea and Russia following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's claim that Moscow is preparing to receive another 30,000 North Korean troops for its war against Ukraine.

In a recent post on X, Zelenskyy said Russia is preparing to bring in an additional 30,000 North Korean troops, with preparations under way since June in Russia's Voronezh region to receive them.

Unification ministry reaffirms 'realistic, practical' approach to denuclearization

SEOUL -- The unification ministry reaffirmed its stance Monday on seeking "realistic and practical" solutions to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, focusing on halting North Korea's nuclear programs.

"The ministry's position has not budged from seeking a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula in cooperation with the international community," Yoon Min-ho, the ministry's spokesperson, said at a regular briefing.

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Lee vows to create diplomatic conditions to resume inter-Korean, N.K.-U.S. dialogue

BRASILIA -- President Lee Jae Myung pledged to make every effort to create diplomatic conditions conducive to the resumption of dialogue with North Korea, as well as talks between the North and the United States, according to an interview released Monday.

The South Korean president made the remarks in an interview with a local newspaper, O Globo, released a day after he arrived in Brazil on a state visit that includes a summit with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and a business roundtable.

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Measures ready for N. Korea's unannounced dam water releases: unification ministry

SEOUL -- The government has response measures in place for sudden, unannounced releases of water from a North Korean dam near the border, the unification ministry said Tuesday.

Release of water from north of the border, especially during monsoon seasons, often lead to flooding in the South, while Pyongyang has failed to give prior notices for over a decade, despite an earlier agreement, amid soured relations between the two Koreas.

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N. Korean economy grows over 3 pct for 3rd consecutive year in 2025: BOK

SEOUL -- The North Korean economy grew more than 3 percent for the third consecutive year in 2025, supported by expanded economic cooperation with Russia, South Korea's central bank said Friday.

North Korea's gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have expanded 3.5 percent from a year earlier in 2025, following 3.7 percent on-year growth in 2024 and 3.1 percent growth in 2023, according to a report from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

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