North Korea will hold its Ninth Party Congress in late February, state media announced following a Politburo meeting attended by Kim Jong Un. The major political meeting is expected to define the DPRK's policy direction for the next five years. www.nknews.org/2026/02/nort...

"When is North Korea's next Party Congress likely to happen?" Intelligence Suite synthesizes expert analysis, historical patterns, and state media reporting—delivers the answer with full citations in seconds. One question. Comprehensive answers. For NK PRO subscribers: nknews.org/pro/intellig...

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered a full investigation on Wednesday into reports that civilians launched drones into North Korea, calling it “practically the same as an act of starting a war.” www.nknews.org/2026/01/lee-...

North Korea published multiple statements on alleged ROK drone intrusions this week—but withheld key details from domestic audiences. NK News' Seung-Yeon Chung breaks down what North Korean citizens saw vs. what they didn't: 🧵

Kim Jong Un publicly fired Vice Premier Yang Sung Ho at a factory ceremony Monday, telling him to "leave on your own feet while you still can, before it is too late" — a rare televised dismissal that exposes deepening frustration with economic planning failures. www.nknews.org/2026/01/leav...

Did Russia try to secretly ship nuclear reactor parts to North Korea? Spanish media made this explosive claim after a Russian cargo ship sank off Spain's coast in December 2024—but NK News analysis suggests the evidence doesn't hold up. www.nknews.org/2026/01/what...

South Korea is reconsidering the 2018 military agreement it scrapped with North Korea – establishing no-fly zones and restricting artillery drills. But it comes as Kim Yo Jong threatens "unbearable price" over alleged drone flights into the DPRK. Full story: nknews.org/2026/01/lee-...

What should you watch in North Korea in 2026? NK PRO team weighs in on the biggest stories to follow this year — from deepening Russia ties and potential Trump talks, to nuclear energy ambitions and black swan scenarios that could disrupt Pyongyang's plans. www.nknews.org/category/nor...

Authentic Labubu toys are not made in North Korea, manufacturer says www.nknews.org/2026/01/auth...

North Korea just aired a violent propaganda film on state TV—complete with Hollywood-style fight scenes on top of trains. "Days and Nights of Confrontation" depicts a plot to assassinate Kim Jong Il, with graphic content designed to appeal to young audiences: 🧵

North Korea condemned U.S. military action in Venezuela that captured President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, calling the intervention a "high-handedness act" and describing it as "another example" of the "rogue and brutal nature of the U.S." www.nknews.org/2026/01/nort...

Looks like North Korea's "hypersonic" missile test was conducted from around the same spot as March 27, 2023 and Hwsong-11A SRBM and Sep. 12, 2024 600mm MLRS tests, around a bunch of missile bases in Junghwa/Ryokpho south of Pyongyang (38°52'27.17" N 125°55'45.60" E) www.nknews.org/2026/01/nort...

On the location of the NLOS guided missile factory Kim Jong Un visited Jan. 3 (reported Jan. 4), I don't recognize guy 1 and guy 2, but guy 3 was previously at the Songgan electronics factory unblurred, suggesting he was a general munitions official not manager there kcnawatch.org/newstream/17...

Intelligence Suite is now LIVE. NK PRO's new AI research assistant lets you ask questions in natural language and get insights from our extensive North Korea coverage and state media sources. Available now to subscribers → nknews.org/pro/intellig...

What North Korea emphasized — and what it didn’t — on New Year’s Day: Jeongmin Kim examines how Kim Jong Un used carefully limited New Year messaging to avoid locking Pyongyang into costly commitments. Full analysis: www.nknews.org/pro/kim-jong...

A Chinese merchant claimed he exported 18,000 square meters of carpet to North Korea for new luxury hotels inspected by Kim Jong Un. Social media posts show carpets produced at a Chinese factory with designs matching those at the Ikal Hotel in Samjiyon. Full story: nknews.org/2025/12/chin...

North Korean leader's sister Kim Yo Jong received a portrait of herself as a New Year's gift from Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson, painted "overnight" by a Kremlin-linked artist who previously painted Donald Trump. Full story by Anton Sokolin: www.nknews.org/2025/12/kim-...

All South Korean citizens are now allowed to access North Korea’s party daily Rodong Sinmun without going through special procedures, though only at designated locations, Seoul announced on Tuesday. Full story by Jooheon Kim: www.nknews.org/2025/12/sout...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a factory producing new five-tube launchers for 600mm rocket systems, calling it the military's future "main strike means" with nuclear capabilities aimed at South Korea. Full story by @colinzwirko.bsky.social: www.nknews.org/2025/12/nort...

China has repeatedly warned fishing vessels against operating in North Korean waters this year, but South Korea reported a daily average of 190 Chinese vessels illegally operating near the inter-Korean maritime border in recent months. Full story: nknews.org/2025/12/chin...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a cruise missile test Sunday, calling it an "exercise of war deterrence" and vowing "unlimited and continuous strengthening" of the country's nuclear forces. Full story by @colinzwirko.bsky.social: nknews.org/2025/12/kim-...

North Korea unveiled its "nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine," with state media releasing first full photos of the 8,700-ton vessel Thursday. Full story by @colinzwirko.bsky.social: www.nknews.org/2025/12/kim-...

North Korea has officially opened five luxury hotels in Samjiyon near Mount Paektu and the Chinese border, state media reported Tuesday—up to seven years after construction began. Full story and satellite imagery analysis by @colinzwirko.bsky.social: nknews.org/2025/12/kim-...

A North Korean company has become a trading partner with Belarus, seeking to import dairy products from the Russian ally, according to the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange. The partnership was first revealed in June but has not been previously reported. nknews.org/2025/12/bela...

"[My mother] was very upset because she wasn’t sad at all due to the leader’s death and wasn’t able to cry," North Korean defector Rose wrote. Today’s question is about how North Koreans responded when they learned about Kim Jong Il’s sudden death on Dec. 17, 2011. www.nknews.org/2025/12/ask-...

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sought to provoke a North Korean military response to justify martial law, special prosecutors said Monday after a six-month investigation. North Korea did not respond, and the plan failed, according to the findings. nknews.org/2025/12/sout...

VIDEO: North Korea's state-run KCTV on Saturday aired footage of Kim Jong Un crying as he welcomed home military engineers from Russia's Kursk region. Soldiers also wept during the ceremony honoring their unit — which lost 9 members during demining operations. nknews.org/2025/12/russ...

A Chinese manufacturer has posted videos showing a drone assembly line it says is bound for North Korea after final testing, with claimed production capacity of 100 multi-rotor drones per day. www.nknews.org/2025/12/chin...

12 years ago today, North Korea announced the execution of Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jong Un's uncle and former vice chairman of the National Defence Commission. It was the first execution of a senior official in decades 🧵 nknews.org/2013/12/nort...

Private car ownership is surging in Pyongyang, but NK Pro investigation found zero new gas stations built in the capital in recent years. Only 13 new stations were constructed across North Korea from 2021-2025—all outside Pyongyang. What this reveals: nknews.org/pro/gas-stat...

Kim Jong Un began North Korea's 2025 end-of-year party plenum in Pyongyang on Tuesday. State media says the meeting will discuss plans for the Ninth Party Congress and review economic and ideological issues. www.nknews.org/2025/12/kim-...

North Korea is opening its doors again — but only for runners. The 2026 Pyongyang Marathon is set for April 5, and all 500 spots through Koryo Tours sold out in under five hours. Here's what we know: www.nknews.org/2025/12/hund...

North Korea and China have established at least 32 makeshift river crossings to move cars, trucks and possibly other sensitive machinery to the DPRK, according to NK Pro satellite analysis. A smuggling scheme meant to hide transactions from scrutiny. www.nknews.org/pro/north-ko...

Seoul says it’s willing to release North Korean POWs for ROK detainees in DPRK www.nknews.org/2025/12/seou...

NK News CEO @chadocl.bsky.social asks South Korean President Lee Jae-myung about multiple citizens detained in North Korea since 2014, including 4 sentenced to hard labor and 3 others. @chadocl.bsky.social: "What are you going to do to bring them back home?"

Russia appears to be using North Korean shells for Cold War-era T-55 tanks reactivated for Ukraine, according to photos circulating this week. Expert identified DPRK-made 100mm rounds by their markings—some dating to 1990. What it signals: www.nknews.org/2025/12/russ...

My latest for NK News

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung pledged to "pursue a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula," avoiding the term "denuclearization" entirely. An expert says it's the first time a South Korean administration has framed the goal this way. What it signals: www.nknews.org/2025/12/lee-...

Kim Jong Un pledged "new strategic military assets" for North Korea's air force, including what appears to be a new land attack cruise missile bearing resemblance to the German-Swedish Taurus system. What was on display at Aviation Day: www.nknews.org/2025/11/kim-...

A Chinese merchant says he's shipped over 2,000 computers and graphics cards to North Korea since last year—likely violating UN sanctions. His social media posts reveal the mechanics of the trade and recurring complications with enforcement: www.nknews.org/2025/12/chin...

What did North Korean state media emphasize last week? "Spirit of Kangwon"—workers who built 6 power stations under harsh conditions without adequate party support. State media called it a "miracle" and urged citizens to follow their example. 🧵 www.nknews.org/pro/north-ko...

Kim Jong Un pledged "new strategic military assets" for North Korea's outdated air force, hinting at nuclear upgrades for the oft-neglected military branch. What appeared at the Aviation Day ceremony—and what it signals: www.nknews.org/2025/11/kim-...

North Korea sent troops to Kursk. Where could Kim Jong Un's soldiers fight next? NK Pro analyzed the global conflicts where DPRK deployment is realistic and the scenarios that remain unlikely despite economic desperation. www.nknews.org/2025/11/afte...

Russia plans to begin installing bridge spans next month on the $100M Tumen River crossing to North Korea, aiming for end-2026 completion. What NK Pro's satellite analysis shows about the project timeline and infrastructure development: www.nknews.org/pro/north-ko...

Russia plans to begin installing bridge span structures next month on the $100M Tumen River crossing to North Korea, with completion targeted for end of 2026. www.nknews.org/pro/north-ko...

North Korea now has at least 14 active smartphone brands, including models with foldable screens—all relying on Chinese technology and manufacturing services. www.nknews.org/pro/north-ko...

Investigation: NK Pro satellite analysis shows North Korea has built new defense lines along 74% of the DMZ since April 2024. Construction accelerated sharply after June — 42% of all work completed in just 5 months. www.nknews.org/pro/north-ko...

After Kursk: The foreign wars where North Korea could deploy its soldiers next www.nknews.org/2025/11/afte...

High resolution satellite imagery analyzed by NK Pro shows a major pressure blowout at North Korea’s Tanchon Power Station in late June, destroying key facilities before the plant could open. Full investigation and additional imagery: www.nknews.org/pro/north-ko...

South Korea has formally requested military talks with North Korea for the first time in seven years, seeking to clarify where the DMZ boundary actually lies amid a surge in North Korean incursions. NK News breaks down what triggered Seoul’s move and what is at stake: www.nknews.org/2025/11/seou...