The Latest Breaking News from North Korea

Donald Trump’s first term gave the world a taste of deliberately disruptive unwanted involvement in the domestic affairs of other countries, with examples ranging from Britain in the throes of Brexit to North Korea where the 45th US president attempted to forge a personal deal with Kim Jung-Un.

Kim Jong Un has been using the development of North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme as his “insurance policy” to stay in power, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, said.

North Korea flaunts fake IKEA store, defying sanctions. Likely selling counterfeit goods, the store serves as propaganda while exploiting Western brands.

Kyiv claims to have captured two North Korean soldiers during fighting in Russia’s Kursk region

The launch came as Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya visited South Korea for a series of meetings with top officials, with the Asian neighbours seeking to boost bilateral ties before Trump returns to office next week.

In today’s newsletter: Kyiv’s interrogation footage of captured North Korean soldiers leads to questions about what it might do with the soldiers – and what the PoWs might do for them

Takeshi Iwaya in South Korea for talks on trilateral cooperation with US

North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles into the sea Tuesday, according to Seoul's military, in what experts said could be a message to US President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration.

North Korea test-fires missiles, escalating tensions with the U.S. and allies. Kim Jong Un aims to expand nuclear arsenal, posing challenges for diplomacy.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles travelled up to 250km (155 miles) before landing in the sea.

South Korea’s military says North Korea has test-fired at least one unidentified projectile toward its eastern waters in its second launch event of 2025