Asia North Korea A large new prison is being built in Chongjin, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery; it is at least the 14th walled penitentiary remodeled or constructed since late 2023, showing a growing incarceration capacity amid ideological crackdown
Asia North Korea Roofwork, maybe more upgrades are ongoing on at least 9 of leader Kim Jong Un mansions across North Korea, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery, a rare visual sign of the resources maintaining the luxurious lifestyles of Kim and his family
Asia North Korea North Korea will welcome Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week, traveling to the country in first State visit since 2019
Asia North Korea North Korean soldiers marched through Moscow’s Red Square for the first time; the Victory Day parade honored Pyongyang’s deployment to Russia’s Kursk region; their involvement in Ukraine war is unclear and leader Kim Jong Un was not present at the event
Asia North Korea Runways at Wonsan beach resort as well as Sinuiju and Samjiyonon on the border with China are being updated, according to satellite images; new angled taxiways will allow large planes to exit faster and suggest a planned commercial expansion
Asia North Korea A Chinese passenger train crossed into Sinuiju for the first time since the strict border closure of the COVID-19 pandemic; videos circulating on Chinese social media show a 6-cars convoy back the news
Asia North Korea North Korean practitioners of traditional medicine reportedly working at clinics in Russia and Central Asia are rare examples of the NK exporting skilled labor, in violation of UN sanctions
Asia North Korea Ninth Party Congress could be convened any day now, after weeks of preparation, international visits, expectations; Party Congresses have been the regime’s stage for big announcements, subtle purges and the occasional rewriting of titles
Asia North Korea Tons of meat products worth hundreds of thousands of dollars have been shipped in from Belarus -reports independent media project Zerkalo- while North Korea supplied automotive parts to a Belarusian truck manufacturer that also produces missile launchers
Asia North Korea Textiles and wigs reign supreme in North Korea-China trade in 2025: the countries exchanged over $18 million in sanctioned goods and DPRK’s rice imports hit multi-year high in December
Asia North Korea North Korea says it tested hypersonic missiles to deter enemies; Kim Jong Un personally oversaw test, as 'continuous' nuke development necessary after recent 'international events', he reportedly said condemning US action in Venezuela
Asia North Korea The Biological Specimen Factory in Kaesong Municipality has been renewed and equipped with temperature control; stuffed specimens of birds and mammals are preserved in their original aspect, intended for educational units use, a press release reports
Asia North Korea To expand crop variety and yield, North Korea’s top farming experts discussed boosting domestic harvests with leading Russian agricultural research hubs during a week-long visit to Russia, deepening food security links between the two countries