North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dramatically increased his public visibility in 2025, a shift analysts increasingly link to Pyongyang's deepening military and political alliance with Russia amid the war in Ukraine.
According to data published by the Korea Institute for National Unification and reported by the Korea Times, Kim logged 131 public appearances by late December, marking his most active year since 2016. The surge follows several quieter years during the pandemic and signals a calculated effort to project authority, stability and international relevance at a time when North Korea's role on the global stage has sharply expanded.
