On April 2, North Korea unveiled the long awaited successor to its Hwasong-12 “Guam Killer” intermediate range ballistic missile. The test launch of the Hwasong-16B followed years of reports on the testing of associated technologies facilitating a generational leap in performance. With an estimated range of 4,000-5,000 kilometers, North Korea’s intermediate range missiles – beginning … Read more
As U.S. President Joe Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio for a state visit, and prepares for a historic trilateral summit also including the Philippines’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., China is emphasizing its own partnerships. On April 8, the same day Kishida arrived in Washington, D.C., Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov began a two-day … Read more
South Korea has successfully launched its second military spy satellite into orbit, days after North Korea reaffirmed its plan to launch multiple reconnaissance satellites this year. The Koreas each launched their first spy satellites last year – North Korea in November and South Korea in December – amid heightened animosities. They said their satellites would … Read more
The third iteration of the Summit for Democracy was hosted in Seoul on March 20, providing a crucial platform for global leaders to address challenges in strengthening democratic institutions, both at home and abroad. The event was particularly significant as it focused on the impact of disinformation, fake news, and digital threats to democratic practices, especially … Read more
Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution Thursday in a move that effectively abolishes the monitoring by United Nations experts of sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, though the sanctions themselves remain in place. Russia’s turnaround on the monitoring – which it repeatedly agreed to in the past – prompted Western accusations that Moscow was … Read more
A flight from Air Koryo, North Korea’s state airline, recently brought new workers, defense researchers, and students to Russia, highlighting the expanding exchanges between North Korea and Russia as the two nations grow closer. According to several Daily NK sources in North Korea, an Air Koryo flight that left Pyongyang for Vladivostok on March 18 … Read more
North Korea said Monday that Japan’s prime minister has offered to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but stressed that prospects for their countries’ first summit in about 20 years would depend on Tokyo tolerating the North’s weapons program and agreeing to close the book on its past abductions of Japanese nationals. Japan … Read more
North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters Monday morning, its neighbors said, days after the end of the South Korean-U.S. military drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal. The launches — North Korea’s first known missile testing activities in about a month — came as U.S. Secretary of State … Read more
After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea implemented a strategy of strict prevention that involved a full closure of the border. As a result, Pyongyang significantly reduced its diplomatic activities. After Pyongyang decided to relax its epidemic control measures last year, Mongolia was one of the four countries allowed to rotate its diplomatic … Read more
In the 30 years since North Korea announced its intention to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the United States has implemented a variety of strategies to curb Pyongyang’s behavior. These efforts, which range from the Clinton-era Agreed Framework to the Trump administration’s bilateral summits, have failed to dissuade the … Read more