North Korea is displaying an increasingly diverse missile arsenal this year, firing from different platforms — on land, aboard warships and, according to Pyongyang, underwater from a submarine — while testing weapons designed to carry heavier warheads, maneuver to evade interception and inflict damage over wider areas. The frequency of missile tests has also increased, with 16 ballistic missile launches recorded through Oct. 12, which exceeds the six recorded in all of 2025 and 12 in 2024. But what's more threatening than the frequency of ballistic missiles is diversification, with cruise missile tests added on seven occasions through Oct. 14, involving land-based launchers, destroyers and, purportedly, a submarine. The expanding arsenal gives North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s military more options to approach targets from different directions and coordinate strikes, placing greater demands on South Korean and U.S. defenses even as questions remain over Pyongyang's technological claims. Widening range of weapons This year's ballistic launches began near Pyongyang on Jan. 4 with susp
North Korea is displaying an increasingly diverse missile arsenal this year, firing from different platforms — on land, aboard warships and, according to Pyongyang, underwater from a submarine — while testing weapons designed to carry heavier warheads, maneuver to evade interception and inflict damage over wider areas. The frequency of missile tests has also increased, with 16 ballistic missile launches recorded through Oct. 12, which exceeds the six recorded in all of 2025 and 12 in 2024. But what's more threatening than the frequency of ballistic missiles is diversification, with cruise missile tests added on seven occasions through Oct. 14, involving land-based launchers, destroyers and, purportedly, a submarine. The expanding arsenal gives North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s military more options to approach targets from different directions and coordinate strikes, placing greater demands on South Korean and U.S. defenses even as questions remain over Pyongyang's technological claims. Widening range of weapons This year's ballistic launches began near Pyongyang on Jan. 4 with susp
Gemini, the generative artificial intelligence (AI) by Google, has become the center of Korean politics in recent days, as President Lee Jae Myung and opposition politicians used the tool to defend their logic in the debate over investigative body chiefs’ attendance at Cabinet meetings. The debate turned a dispute over investigative independence into a political contest over AI-generated responses, with high-profile opposition lawmakers citing Gemini on issues ranging from Cabinet attendance to whether Lee’s suspended criminal trials should resume. The AI use battle began when Lee posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday under the heading, “I asked Gemini,” posting the AI assistant's answers to reject criticism of his decision to have the heads of the newly launched Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) and the Prosecution Service attend Cabinet meetings. His posting came after SCIA’s inaugural chief Kim Ji-yong took part in Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, presided over by Lee. The opposition bloc criticized Kim's attendance, saying it would undermine the investigative bo
Gemini, the generative artificial intelligence (AI) by Google, has become the center of Korean politics in recent days, as President Lee Jae Myung and opposition politicians used the tool to defend their logic in the debate over investigative body chiefs’ attendance at Cabinet meetings. The debate turned a dispute over investigative independence into a political contest over AI-generated responses, with high-profile opposition lawmakers citing Gemini on issues ranging from Cabinet attendance to whether Lee’s suspended criminal trials should resume. The AI use battle began when Lee posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday under the heading, “I asked Gemini,” posting the AI assistant's answers to reject criticism of his decision to have the heads of the newly launched Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) and the Prosecution Service attend Cabinet meetings. His posting came after SCIA’s inaugural chief Kim Ji-yong took part in Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, presided over by Lee. The opposition bloc criticized Kim's attendance, saying it would undermine the investigative bo
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