I mistakenly posted that the time between Japan's alerts on launch and splashdown was 18 mins, but it was 8 mins (12:37 and 12:45 pm), pointing more toward an SRBM launch. Developing story here www.nknews.org/2025/11/nort...

The KPA 11th Corps Command HQ that KJU visited last weekend is located in Tokchon smack dab in the center of the country (39.77194° N, 126.32609° E). AKA Special Operations Forces, previously confirmed by its name Unit 630 in KJI visit report pics from Feb. 1, 2010 and Dec. 1, 2011

what's your favorite bowie song?

North Korea held another weapons expo! Some new developments: -Hwasong-11E (화성-11마) is a new SRBM with HGV? -still showing large SLBM never tested. blue checkered UUV behind -new unmanned surface vessel? likely to be in the oct10 parade -green paint scheme drone on left

Ended up being that North Korea photoshopped this replica Blue House out of multiple photos www.nknews.org/pro/north-ko...

KJU at "training base No. 38" watching some sniper drills reportedly on Sept 12. I recognize that too-well-manicured hill. and those mountains. this is the 'Jindallae Guesthouse' missile test area where there's a ton of new construction going on, detailed here: www.nknews.org/pro/major-co...

First image today clearly showing full-scale military parade practice at North Korea's Mirim complex, though we've seen signs of this for months already. Looking like Oct. 10 for the parade. Read more here: www.nknews.org/pro/thousand...

This is absolutely new, hanging a Kim Jong Un portrait at an event. He's gradually centering his own cult of personality, making Kim Il Sung/Kim Jong Il mere distant past figures. First paintings/murals of himself, then his portrait at only the party cadre school, then badges only for WPK CC members

This part doesn't read well. I get he's saying 'I'm doing you a favor,' North Koreans do covet the benefits of the Hero of the Republic medal, but sounds more like 'nobody gave me permission but I'm taking your children, better thank me.' Makes it all about himself too www.nknews.org/2025/08/kim-...

North Korea continues with this intentionally vague admission of deaths fighting in their war on Ukraine and the "US-backed West." This time I count 250 portraits of dead soldiers held by families in group photos, including people I recognize from the previous event. www.nknews.org/2025/08/kim-...

North Korea showing off their prowess in making kitschy fake gold wall decorations (Aug 13). Many are saying Trump is getting his at Home Depot but we might also want to consider this avenue to DPRK-US detente

The special forces drills Kim Jong Un reportedly oversaw Wednesday appear to have taken place at the KPA Unit 525 HQ south of Pyongyang. The report says the unit is directly under the KPA General Staff. They conducted the ROK Blue House raid drills in the past www.nknews.org/2025/08/kim-...

North Korea's big program Friday on the Russia war deployment revealed KJU initially decided to send troops to Kursk at a CMC meeting on Aug. 28 last year, just a couple weeks after Ukraine started the Kursk incursion. We hadn't seen this date before. Also very explicitly framed as fighting "the US"

MRW just watched my comrades shoot themselves in the head and self-detonate all over the battlefield in glorious suicides fighting Russia's war on Ukraine but made it home for the NK-pop hardened soldier battle dance concert

You know KJU is in a good mood when he distributes his exclusive Sonamu cigarettes and ashtrays to the room www.nknews.org/2025/08/nort...

North Korean education warns to be careful around men wearing large crosses (Russian rock musician Shaman did a concert for KJU on Friday)

KJU got his own separate podium with aircon for his speech on Thursday

Official KCNA English this morning

There are two big foreign planes in Pyongyang today, unannounced it seems, probably Russian. With the Trump-Putin meeting coming up, one begins to wonder if any immediate NK-Russia negotiations were in order..

Found that the Il-76 North Korea turned into this early warning aircraft (which isn't being used still it seems) is the one with tail number P-913, since their other two (P-912, P-914) were used during March 2024 paratrooper drills. reaired HD KCTV footage confirms this, wasn't visible at the time

And now, the same event from the Azerbaijan Presidential press office: Ilham Aliyev, neck smoothed to the max, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s neck like a ploughed field. No love lost between dictators

Today in presidential neck-smoothing, a compare and contrast. First, from the Turkmenistan government press office: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov with a smooth neck, Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan with a neck like a ploughed field.

Turkmenistan, and a new contender emerges. This is Oguljahan Atabayeva, daughter of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and sister of President Serdar, who is being Groomed For Great Things so she qualifies for the unfeasibly smooth neck work offered by the government press office.

Been sitting on this for a while due to low photo res, but maybe evidence pushing back timeline of North Korean-Russia weapons cooperation: -Feb 2022 Russia invades Ukraine -**June 2022** CMC meeting, books featuring likely Putin, KJU, weapons -Sep 2022 US intel reportedly says Russia buying NK arms

How big is North Korea's ICBM force? Vann Van Diepen responds to the DIA's recent estimate that the DPRK deploys "10 or fewer" ICBMs.

As expected, Kim Jong Un attended a ceremony to open the giant Wonsan Kalma beach resort zone on Tuesday (delayed report in state media Thursday), saying it can accommodate 20,000 people, maybe the largest enclosed resort in the world www.nknews.org/2025/06/nort...

North Korea's gigantic Wonsan Kalma beach resort is scheduled to finally open this month. Seems the red carpet is out at the Kalmaegi Hotel this morning (Planet Labs pic1, pic2 was June 19), might mean a ceremony today or soon. Pics 3+4 show the location above the driveway, prob the banquet spot

That said, Stanton offers one important caveat: "If Trump doesn't care what the law says and Congress won't get in his way, that opens up all kinds of possibilities." So, we should continue to track what the U.S. tries to achieve in any future DPRK diplomacy...

Stalin style: North Korea unpersons long-time navy commander Kim Myong Sik and also Chongjin Shipyard manager Hong Kil Ho www.nknews.org/2025/06/nort...

Likely one of KJU's white yachts attached to one of his towed megayachts off Wonsan Thurs 11:43am (read more: www.nknews.org/pro/kim-jong...), then warship ceremony way up in Rason in evening. He 1) used it then traveled, 2) put there as a diversion, or 3) family used it (where's his wife lately?)

April 25 - first new destroyer launched on west coast, to deploy east coast (?) early 2026 May 21 - 2nd ship launch attempt east coast, capsizes June 1-2 - Lifted upright June 8 - arrives at Rason for repairs June 12 - relaunch ceremony, to deploy east coast mid-2026 www.nknews.org/2025/06/nort...

Comparison of North Korea's damaged destroyer in the dry dock at Rason (posted here: x.com/byjepstein/s...) with the overhead shot of the west coast destroyer See our story on the latest here: www.nknews.org/pro/north-ko...

North Korea released their first update on the warship situation in a couple weeks, says they'll move it to Rajin Shipyard (Rason) about 80km up the coast after another inspection at Chongjin where it is now www.nknews.org/2025/06/nort...

Everything you need to know about the failed launch and damage of North Korea's second guided missile destroyer, in under 30 minutes! with @csis.org Joe Bermudez and @sydseiler.bsky.social 🔽

KCTV reveals yesterday's (May 29) artillery drills took place somewhere near Nampho on the west coast, since I can see this is Sangchuira-do once again used as a target. The building on the right has been rebuilt after being destroyed in a Feb 26 cruise missile test www.nknews.org/2025/05/kim-...

Same recon drone serial number shown in today's report (pic2) as last time (21070601), suggesting it's a prototype and they maybe don't have more. Combat drone also a number (2101003) first seen 2 years ago, but they flew 3 so gotta check KCTV for those #s www.nknews.org/2025/05/kim-...

This drill marks the first time we can be sure that hundreds of young North Korean conscripts were conducting training in front of KJU while probably expecting it to lead to being sent off to fight and die in a war for Russia and that Putin guy. See Rodong layout too www.nknews.org/2025/05/kim-...

Looks like this Capital Defense Corps Training Camp No. 60 수도방어군단 제60훈련소 where KJU watched drills on May 13 (www.nknews.org/2025/05/kim-...) is the Kangdong base used last year. New construction (detailed here www.nknews.org/pro/north-ko...) turned out to be building a giant pond for rafts

Thursday's NK missile test (Hwasong-11A SRBM and 600mm MLRS) was from the same beach south of Wonsan as a Hwasong-11D test one year ago on May 17, 2024, state media photos suggest. Pic 1 was yesterday, Pic 2 was last year (39.148429°, 127.611304°) www.nknews.org/2025/05/nort...

-ROK JCS reports launch of several missiles from Wonsan on east coast at 8:10am. Japan doesn't report it -Japan reports at 9:24am on a DPRK missile test, and at 9:42am that it splashed down. JCS silent on this Appears to suggest 2 launch events, but not yet confirmed www.nknews.org/2025/05/nort...

KJU shown Huichon Ryonha General Machine Plant upgrade plans (KCNA today), which supplies machines to arms factories. Gonna be a huge building maybe bigger than the new one at the Kumsong tractor factory. Previously saw that KJU approved 'modernization' in April 2023 www.nknews.org/2025/05/kim-...

Stephen Mercado, formerly at the CIA, reviews my new book for NK News: "Panda’s book shows us the enormity of today’s threat of nuclear conflagration and offers some ways forward." www.nknews.org/2025/05/book...

KJU stealing hats from sailors again x.com/ColinZwirko/...

North Korea officially launches its new warship a bit faster than expected www.nknews.org/2025/04/nort...

Some kinda large leadership political meeting on April 23 (looks like lots of buses) at the WPK CC HQ next to where KJU hosted a secretariat meeting in Jan. Maybe will be reported in coming days.

I guess they're already setting up screens/stage for a big concert to officially open the Hwasong Area 3rd stage (50k homes 4th stage) skyscraper housing project, like previous years. At last year's, KJU intro'd his new cult 'thumbs up' worship song about himself www.nknews.org/2025/04/kim-...

KJU inspection of special forces drills in state media today (pic 1-2) took place at the Koksan base previously reported on Sept. 13 (pic 3-4), details here: www.nknews.org/pro/north-ko...

This story is awesome