Honestly, if you’ve been keeping an eye on the headlines lately, you’ve probably noticed something weird. It’s early 2026, and the vibe between Washington and Pyongyang is... quiet. But it’s that heavy, pressurized quiet you feel right before a massive thunderstorm hits. We aren't seeing the "fire and fury" rhetoric of years past, yet we aren't exactly seeing "love letters" either.
Basically, both sides are playing a very high-stakes game of chicken while pretending they aren't looking at each other.
The Venezuela Factor: A New Kind of Tension
The biggest ripple in US and North Korea news right now actually started thousands of miles away in South America. On January 3, 2026, US Special Operations forces carried out a raid in Caracas, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. While the rest of the world was processing that bombshell, Pyongyang was taking notes.
Kim Jong Un didn't wait long to react. On January 4, North Korea fired off at least two "supersonic" ballistic missiles from the Ryokpho district. It wasn't just a random test. Kim explicitly cited "recent geopolitical crises" as the reason he’s doubling down on his nuclear deterrent.
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To be clear, North Korea views the US action in Venezuela as a direct warning. Their state media, KCNA, has been calling the raid a "violent violation of sovereignty." In their heads, the logic is simple: Venezuela didn't have nukes, so the US moved in. North Korea has nukes, so they think they’re safe—but only if they keep building more.
Trump and Kim: The Personal vs. The Political
You’ve probably heard that President Donald Trump is back in the White House, and he’s been pretty vocal about his "very good relationship" with Kim Jong Un. He even suggested in late 2025 that he’d "probably do something with him at some point."
But here’s the reality check:
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- The Policy Gap: Trump’s new National Security Strategy, released in December 2025, barely mentioned North Korea.
- The Nuclear Stumbling Block: Pyongyang has been crystal clear. They won't even sit down at the table unless the US drops its "obsession with denuclearization."
- The Pakistan Model: Experts like former U.S. Special Representative Joseph Yun say Kim’s real goal for 2026 is to be "acknowledged and accepted" as a nuclear power, similar to how the world treats Pakistan.
Basically, Kim wants the perks of being a nuclear state—sanctions relief and global respect—without actually giving up the bombs. Washington, meanwhile, is still officially clinging to the idea of a "denuclearized peninsula," even if that feels like a fantasy right now.
The "Russia-First" Pivot
Something most people get wrong about US and North Korea news is thinking the US is the only country Pyongyang cares about. That’s just not true anymore. Since the 2019 Hanoi summit failed, Kim has basically ghosted the West and swiped right on Vladimir Putin.
North Korea has been shipping ammunition and even troops to Russia. In exchange, they’re likely getting help with high-tech military hardware. Just last month, state media showed off a massive 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine. Whether it actually works is a debate for the analysts, but the message is sent: "We don't need you, Washington. We have Moscow."
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What’s Coming in February 2026?
If you want to know what happens next, watch for the Ninth Party Congress in Pyongyang, likely happening in February. This is the "apex" event for Kim’s government. It’s where they’ll officially set the tone for the rest of the year.
We’re expecting Kim to push his "two-state theory," which basically means he’s done treating South Korea like a brother and starts treating them like a foreign enemy. This makes the US's job a lot harder. If the North and South aren't talking, the risk of a "miscalculation"—a polite word for a catastrophic accident—goes way up.
How to Stay Informed (The Actionable Part)
The situation is moving fast. If you're trying to cut through the noise, here is how you should actually track this:
- Watch the State of the Union: Analysts expect President Trump might use his 2026 State of the Union address to offer a "new vision" for engagement. If he mentions "coexistence" instead of "denuclearization," that’s a massive policy shift.
- Monitor the Satellite Feeds: Keep an eye on reports from groups like 38 North or the Institute for the Study of War. They track the actual movement at missile sites, which tells you more than any press release.
- Check the "April Summit": Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing in April 2026. China is the only country with real economic leverage over Kim. If Trump and Xi Jinping don't agree on a North Korea strategy, expect more missile tests by summer.
The bottom line? We are in a period of strategic ambiguity. North Korea is watching the US’s moves in places like Venezuela and Iran to see how far the "new" American foreign policy will go. For now, they’re staying quiet, building subs, and waiting for the perfect moment to ask for everything they want.
Keep your eyes on February. The Ninth Party Congress will likely tell us if 2026 is the year of the deal—or the year the North Korean nuclear program becomes an accepted, unmovable reality.