Category: North Korea

Kim Jong-un’s Daughter Publicly Visits Family Mausoleum for the First Time

Kim Jong-un appears to continue to groom his daughter for future leadership in North Korea:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s teenage daughter Ju-ae has paid tribute at the family mausoleum for the first time, accompanied by her father, the North’s state media images showed Friday. 

Her first known attendance at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the North Korean leader’s late father and grandfather lie in state, came amid growing speculation about her presence in the North Korean communist dynasty’s potential succession. 

Kim, his wife and Ju-ae, as well as key party and government officials, visited the family mausoleum on New Year’s Day.

Yonhap

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North Korea Fires Barrage of Missiles in the East Sea in Believed Warning to the Trump to Not Try a Venezuela Operation on Kim Jong-un

It is pretty clear that the North Korean regime was sending a message to the Trump administration with these missile launches to not try to launch an operation against Kim Jong-un like what was done to Maduro. Honestly as long as Kim Jong-un doesn’t threaten America Trump will leave him alone:

North Korea’s Missile Administration conducts a test launch of a new missile on Oct. 22, 2025, in this combined file photo released by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency the next day. 

The launch of missiles came as President Lee Jae Myung was set to depart for Beijing for summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It also came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Washington has captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale military strike. 

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the missiles launched from near Pyongyang at around 7:50 a.m.

The missiles flew some 900 kilometers, the JCS said, adding the South Korean and U.S. authorities were analyzing the exact details of the launch.

The missiles reportedly landed at sea, according to a JCS official.

Yonhap

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In 2025 Kim Jong-un Made the Most Public Appearances in 9 Years

It has been as busy year for Kim Jong-un:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made the most public appearances in nine years in 2025, as he increased diplomatic engagement and on-site supervision of the implementation of a five-year national development plan, data showed Sunday. 

Kim’s public appearances, as reported by North Korea’s state media, totaled 118 as of the end of November, according to data from the Korea Institute for National Unification. 

Including additional public activities reported by state media between Dec. 1 and 27, the total number rose to 131.

This year’s total marks a slight increase from last year’s 127 and matches the previous high recorded in 2016.

Yonhap

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Picture of the Day: Kim Jong-un Celebrates 80th Anniversary of North Korean Air Force

N. Korea marks 80th founding anniv. of air force
N. Korea marks 80th founding anniv. of air force
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) poses for a group photo with pilots during a ceremony at Kalma Airport in Wonsan on the North’s east coast on Nov. 28, 2025, to celebrate the 80th founding anniversary of the North Korean army’s air force, in this image captured from footage of the North’s state-run Korean Central Television on Dec. 1. (Yonhap)

Kim Jong-un Tells His Air Force Leadership that they Will Field New Strategic Asset

The only strategic asset I can think of is something nuclear related. However, it would make no sense for them to develop a strategic bomber when their current ballistic missile inventory is enough for deterrence:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ceremony marking the 80th founding anniversary of the country’s air force, saying it will be given new strategic military assets and a “new important duty,” state media reported Sunday.

Kim made the remarks during the celebration event held Friday at Kalma Airport of the 59th Kil Yong Jo Hero Flying Group of the Second Air Wing, to mark the founding anniversary of the Air Force of the Korean People’s Army, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Delivering a speech at the anniversary celebration, Kim said, “The Air Force will be given new strategic military assets and entrusted with a new important duty,” although he did not specify what those strategic assets would be.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

North Korea Welcomes Hegseth to the JSA By Firing Their Rocket Artillery

North Korea was trying to send a message to the U.S. Secretary of War before his JSA visit:

North Korea fired around 10 artillery shells from its multiple rocket launcher system earlier this week, coinciding with a joint visit by the defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, the South’s military said Tuesday.

The North launched the rockets toward waters off the northern Yellow Sea at around 4 p.m. Monday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, adding an analysis of the weapons test is under way.

The launch came less than an hour before U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived at Camp Bonifas, just south of the Joint Security Area (JSA) within the DMZ, for a joint visit to the tense border with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back.

Yonhap

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National Intelligence Service Claims that North Korea Will Pursue Summit with U.S. After March’s Joint Exercise

It looks like post-Freedom Shield is when there may be some movement on dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea if you belive the NIS:

The state intelligence agency has detected signs that North Korea had been preparing for a possible summit with the United States around the time of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering in South Korea, although the meeting did not take place, officials said Tuesday.

The agency also said there is high possibility of a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un some time after a regular South Korea-U.S. military drill in March.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Kim Jong-un Inspects the Readiness of Special Operations Troops

It looks like Kim Jong-un is making sure that if the Russians need more meat for their conflict against Ukraine his troops are ready:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected the combat readiness of a military special operations unit and gave instructions for its development, the North’s state media reported Sunday.

Kim visited the headquarters of the 11th Corps of the Korean People’s Army the previous day and watched a training session, expressing “great satisfaction” with its perfect war posture, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

The 11th Corps is the North Korean military’s most elite special forces unit, which deployed troops to Russia late last year to support its war with Ukraine and gained experience in modern warfare.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Trump Says He is Willing to Meet with Kim Jong-un During Korea Trip

I doubt this will happen, but it doesn’t hurt to speak respectfully of Kim to not give any reason for a provocation during the summit:

 U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is open to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his upcoming visit to South Korea next week if Kim would like to meet, in a renewed show of his willingness to resume diplomacy with the reclusive leader.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Vietnamese President to Visit North Korea In Recognition of the 80th Founding of the Workers Party

Considering how capitalist Vietnam is sometimes people forget they are still ruled by a Communist regime:

Vietnam’s top leader, To Lam, will visit North Korea to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, state media reported Monday.

The Vietnamese leader will pay a state visit to the North at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the occasion of the party anniversary set for Friday, the Korean Central News Agency reported in a short dispatch.

Vietnam’s foreign ministry also announced that Lam will visit North Korea for three days starting Thursday.

It would mark the first trip to North Korea by a Vietnamese leader in 18 years.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.