DPRK - ROK | 2026

[william]

Kim Jong-un welcomes him personally with full military honor guard and red carpet treatment.

• The lavish public display in Kim Il Sung Square underscores the strategic importance of the China-North Korea alliance, which includes a mutual defense treaty marking its 65th anniversary this year.
• The summit comes as Beijing aims to reassert influence over Pyongyang, whose military and economic ties with Russia have deepened, amid talks on trade, security, and regional stability.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2063976140759282155

 

[william]

CCTV's 6-minute full version: Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea

https://twitter.com/x/status/2063946001006944366

Translation

CCTV's 6-minute full version: Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea, the welcoming ceremony crafted with the full might of Kim Jong Un's nation, is likely one-of-a-kind in today's world. Giant portraits of the leaders of China and North Korea hang prominently in the center of the square, with over a thousand people participating in the welcome event simultaneously, their movements precise as clockwork. The military honor guard review and such are standard fare, but the square also features a white horse cavalry honor guard. To top it off, balloons printed with welcome slogans in both Chinese and Korean were released, making for a truly lavish and heartfelt spectacle!

 

[william]

Operating under the cover of academic study, the duo executed at least nine illegal aerial filming sessions targeting a major naval command. The operation culminated in a high-stakes security breach when they flew a commercial drone over the 100,000-ton USS Theodore Roosevelt.

Investigators ultimately seized nearly 12 gigabytes of restricted data, including hundreds of photos and videos of the classified base. The primary suspect had direct contacts linked to Chinese police on his phone and repeatedly shared the footage over messaging apps. Because the Chinese-made drone app automatically synced all captured media straight to servers based in China, the operation effectively handed Beijing a backdoor look into allied frontline maritime defenses.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2064737832519008572

 

[NuclearID]

The European government says the EU and Netherlands hosted an EU & ROK maritime security roundtable in Seoul during the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Ruyter’s port call.

The discussion focused on open sea lines of communication, Indo-Pacific maritime security, EUNAVFOR Aspides experience, and enforcing UN maritime sanctions against North Korea.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2066539150791041487

 

[NuclearID]

South Korea/MND: 2026 Joint Firepower Training.

The government portal describes the exercise as drones, manned unmanned teaming, and multiple capabilities operating under one scenario. During the first publicly shown training of its kind in three years.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2066847835522306307

 

[NuclearID]

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the Philippine Department of National Defense held a Defense Industry and Logistics Cooperation in Manila.

Talks covered exchanges between naval ship program and procurement agencies and expanded maintenance, repair and operational support for South Korean weapons operated by the Philippines.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2069346056890974591