Relations with Beijing will also improve considerably. North Korea will seek normalisation of trade relations and economic assistance from China, while China will attempt to manage conflict escalation on the Korean Peninsula. Both China and Russia are likely to show a more tolerant attitude towards North Korea’s nuclear weapons status.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the test-firing of “cutting-edge” hypersonic missiles to ready Pyongyang’s nuclear forces for war, state media

Decorations celebrating the New Year adorned the North Korean capital on Thursday. North Korea strictly controls religion, so seasonal holidays are presented as neutral, unless they are domestic celebrations of the ruling family or traditional Korean cultural dates.

Kim's daughter Ju Ae, who some analysts view as the frontrunner to become his successor, accompanied Kim during the celebrations.

Pyongyang will likely open room for a summit meeting with Washington while excluding dialogue opportunities with Seoul.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended New Year's celebrations in Pyongyang on Wednesday. North Korea's official state media reported Kim's attendance at the event at May Day stadium, which they said was attended by up to 150,

Japan’s recent militaristic rhetoric has provoked the wrath of North Korea—but no one in Asia has any idea how Pyongyang will actually respond yet.

Minutes after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in Pyongyang, while he was still on the runway, his North Korean counterpart immediately began dictating the terms of his meeting with Kim Jong Un. Pompeo's plane had not yet shut down its engines.

A South Korean crypto exchange employee was sentenced to four years in prison for attempting to recruit a military officer to sell classified secrets to North Korea in exchange for Bitcoin, the Supreme Court ruled on December 28. The ruling also imposes a four-year ban on the employee from financial sector activities.

Outdoor ice rink in Pyongyang People skate and ride sleds at an outdoor ice rink in Pyongyang, in this photo taken from North Korea's official Korean Central Television on Jan. 5, 2026. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea.