August 2023
Brief on 27 July 2023 Parade of the DPRK by Tianran Xu
To celebrate the 70th "Victory Day" (Korean War armistice) anniversary, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) staged a military parade on 27 July 2023. A total of 11 modern weapon formations participated in the parade, which highlighted the DPRK’s nuclear weapons; among the 11 types of weapons, eight types are nuclear capable or are designed exclusively for nuclear weapon delivery.
April 2023
The DPRK's First Solid-Propellant ICBM Launch by Tianran Xu
The DPRK test launched its first solid-propellant ICBM, the Hwasong-18, on 13 April 2023. Compared with liquid-propellant land-mobile ICBMs of the DPRK, solid-propellant ICBMs are operationally easier to maintain as they have fewer mechanical parts, have a shorter launch preparation time by possibly several hours as they do not need to be fueled before launch, and are more compatible to different road conditions.
February 2023
Brief on the DPRK's 8 February 2023 Parade by Tianran Xu
In comparison to previous military parades, the parade on 8 February put a strong focus on the intercontinental-range nuclear strike force: the parade only displayed a few conventional and short-range nuclear-capable weapon systems, but showcased an unprecedented number of 12 Hwasong-17 ICBMs.
January 2023
ONN Expert Roundup: Northeast Asia Consequences of Nuclear Escalation in Ukraine by Marcy Fowler, Sarah Laderman, Valeriia Hesse
The use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine remains very unlikely, although not inconceivable. Surveyed experts assess that the risk of tactical nuclear weapons use could increase, depending on Russia's interpretation of Ukraine's efforts to regain de facto control of Crimea or the Donbas.
December 2022
DPRK Unveils Its Solid-Propellant ICBM Motor by Tianran Xu
The DPRK claimed to have tested the country's first large and high-thrust solid-propellant motor on 15 December 2022 at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground.
November 2022
Brief on DPRK ICBM launch on 18 November 2022 - Updates, 21 November 2022 by Tianran Xu
The DPRK released an official report on the 18 November 2022 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), confirming that it was a Hwasong-17 and stating that the missile flew 999.2 km with an apogee of 6,040.9 km over ~68.9 minutes.
October 2022
Analysis of the DPRK's Ballistic Missile Launch Campaign in September/October 2022 by Tianran Xu
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched a total of 12 ballistic missiles, including short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) and one intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), on seven separate occasions from 25 September to 9 October 2022.
August 2022
DPRK's Declared COVID-19 Victory and Implications for a Next Nuclear Test by Elin Bergner
On 10 August 2022, Kim Jong Un declared "victory" over the COVID-19 epidemic at the "National meeting of reviewing the emergency anti-epidemic work", while Kim Yo Jong reiterated previous North Korean claims that the virus had entered the country from South Korea and threatened to wipe out the South Korean leadership.
July 2022
Emerging Capabilities? The Unflown SLBMs of the DPRK by Tianran Xu
In its October 2020, January 2021 and April 2022 military parades, the DPRK displayed three types of large submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs): the Pukguksong-4ㅅ, the Pukguksong-5ㅅand an unnamed SLBM, respectively. To date, none of these SLBMs have been flight tested and their developmental status remains unclear.
