North Korea just kicked off the new year with a bang, and honestly, it’s not the kind anyone wanted. On January 4, 2026, the Ryokpho district in Pyongyang became the stage for the newest North Korea news when the military launched a series of hypersonic missiles into the Sea of Japan. These weren't just random fireworks. They flew about 900 kilometers and reached altitudes of 50,000 meters.
Think about that for a second.
The timing was incredibly specific. The launches happened right after U.S. Special Operations forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. If you’re wondering why Kim Jong Un cares about Venezuela, it’s basically about survival. The Kim regime has always been paranoid about "decapitation strikes"—the idea that the U.S. might try to snatch or eliminate their leadership. By firing these missiles, Pyongyang was essentially shouting, "We are not Venezuela."
Why the 2026 Strategy Is Different
For a long time, we’ve seen North Korea launch missiles whenever they wanted attention. It was a pattern. Need food? Fire a missile. Want to talk to the U.S. President? Fire two. But 2025 showed a massive shift. The number of launches actually dropped.
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According to reports from 38 North and the Wall Street Journal, Kim Jong Un has moved away from "seeking attention" and toward "displaying strength." He’s not desperate for a seat at the table anymore. He feels he already has what he needs. In his New Year’s Eve address, he didn't even mention the United States or South Korea. Not once.
Instead, he focused on "domestic patriotism." He’s leaning into his friendship with Russia and China. It’s a strategy analysts call "Security with Russia, Economy with China." While the U.S. was busy with events in South America, North Korea was busy showing off a new 8,700-ton nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine.
The Drone Drama in Seoul
Things are getting weirdly tense on the border too. Just this Friday, January 16, 2026, South Korean authorities summoned a civilian to investigate whether they sent drones over the border into the North.
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North Korea is furious. They claim they used electronic warfare to bring down South Korean drones that were allegedly filming their territory. Kim Yo Jong—Kim’s powerful sister—basically laughed off South Korea’s hopes for better relations. She called them "wild dreams" and an "illusion."
Honestly, the internal politics in South Korea aren't helping. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was just sentenced to five years in prison for his failed martial law attempt back in late 2024. The new administration under President Lee Jae-myung is trying to fix things, but Pyongyang isn't biting.
The Ninth Party Congress: What’s Next?
The biggest thing to watch right now is the upcoming Ninth Party Congress. This is where the real "newest North Korea news" will be written. It’s the first one in five years. We expect Kim to lay out a new five-year economic plan.
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He’s been talking a lot about "pragmatism" lately. He’s opening hospitals—six of them in 2025 alone—and trying to fix the "regional development" gap. He knows he can’t just feed his people on missiles. He needs to show that his socialist system actually works, especially compared to the chaos he sees in the West.
Technical Upgrades You Should Know About
- Solid-Propellant ICBMs: They’re moving away from liquid fuel. Why? Because solid-fuel missiles like the Hwasong-16B can be launched much faster. No long fueling process where a satellite can spot them.
- The Nuclear Air Force: Kim recently announced the Air Force would get a "nuclear deterrent mission." This means road-mobile launchers for cruise missiles that can carry nukes.
- Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGV): These are designed to dodge missile defenses. Even if they only make "marginal improvements," they make the U.S. and Japan very nervous.
What This Means for You
The world feels a bit more unstable when Pyongyang starts testing hypersonics. But the real takeaway here isn't just "more missiles." It's that North Korea is no longer interested in the old game of denuclearization talks. They’ve seen what happens to leaders without nukes (like in Venezuela) and they’ve seen what happens when you have a powerful friend (like Russia).
They are digging in.
If you're following these developments, keep an eye on the Ninth Party Congress. That's where we'll see if Kim's "Security with Russia" strategy actually translates into a better life for his people or just more high-tech weapons in the parade.
To stay informed, you should monitor official KCNA readouts for mentions of the "Ninth Party Congress" dates, as these will signal the next major shift in North Korean foreign policy. Additionally, watch for any legislative updates from the South Korean Ministry of Unification regarding the "Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act," which could indicate whether the current "mushrooms-for-peace" symbolic trade efforts gain any real-world traction.