North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea on August 6, 2026, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff; it was Pyongyang's first ballistic missile launch since late June, when it tested a tactical missile with a 'special mission' warhead; the launch comes days before the US and South Korea are due to begin their annual summer joint military exercises
The UN and US-led regime of arms embargoes, export bans, and asset freezes on the DPRK, degraded since Russia's 2024 veto killed the UN monitoring arm.
full dossier ›Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned on August 5 that Pyongyang would not remain a 'passive onlooker' as Japan expands its military capabilities; she cited Japan's test-firing of long-range cruise missiles and participation in US-led military drills, and accused Tokyo of reviving the ambitions of a 'war criminal state'
Five interlocking regimes that cut governments, entities, and individuals off from finance, trade, and technology; the primary pressure instruments short of military force.
The 5,000-tonne Choe Hyon, named for a revolutionary commander, carries anti-ship, anti-aircraft, and nuclear-tipped ballistic and cruise missiles; Kim says 10,000-tonne cruisers follow