2025 in North Korea

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Centuries:	20th 21st
Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2025 Years in North Korea Timeline of Korean history 2025 in South Korea

The following is a list of events from the year 2025 in North Korea .

Incumbents

Photo	Position	Name
	General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea	Kim Jong Un
	Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly	Choe Ryong-hae
	Premier of North Korea	Pak Thae-Song

Events

January

• January 6 – According to reports by the South Korean military, North Korea launches an intermediate-range ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan. ^{[1] [2]}
• January 11 – Ukraine announces the capture of two North Korean soldiers during fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast. ^[3]
• January 16 – Travel agencies announce the reopening of the border city of Rason and the Rason Special Economic Zone to foreign visitors following a prolonged closure caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. ^[4]

February

• February 13 – According to reports by the South Korean Ministry of Unification, North Korea begins the demolition of the Reunion Center for the Separated Families, which hosts reunions of families split by the Korean War, in Mount Kumgang. ^[5]
• February 27 – The United States formally accuses North Korea of responsibility over the theft of $1.5 billion in virtual assets from the cryptocurrency exchange ByBit, in what is reported to be the biggest such heist in history. ^[6]
• February 28 – North Korea announces that it had carried out test launches of strategic cruise missiles in the Yellow Sea. ^[7]

March

• March 27 – The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) publishes pictures of what is believed to be North Korea's first airborne early warning and control aircraft. ^[8]

April

• April 6 – The Pyongyang Marathon is held for the first time since 2019 following a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. ^{[9] [10]}
• April 8 – A group of North Korean soldiers enter the South Korean side of the eastern section of the DMZ, prompting warning shots from South Korean forces that force them to retreat. ^[11]
• April 25 – The Korean People's Navy launches its first destroyer, the Choe Hyon , at a ceremony in Nampo. ^[12]
• April 28 – North Korea admits to sending its military to fight alongside Russian forces in Kursk Oblast against Ukraine. ^[13]

May

• May 8 – North Korea fires several ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan near Wonsan. ^[14]
• May 21 – The Korean People's Navy's second destroyer is damaged during its launching ceremony in Chongjin, with Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in attendance. ^[15]
• May 22 – North Korea fires several cruise missiles into the Sea of Japan near Sondok, South Hamgyong. ^[16]

June

• June 5 – The Korean People's Navy's second destroyer, which was damaged during its initial launching ceremony in Chongjin on May 21, is successfully launched. ^[17]
• June 7 – A major internet outage is reported in North Korea. ^[18]
• 11 June – The Republic of Korea Armed Forces suspends loudspeaker broadcasts across the DMZ into North Korea as part of efforts "restore trust" between the two Koreas. ^[19]
• 25 June – The first train from North Korea arrives at the Yaroslavsky railway station in Moscow, Russia, after a five-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[20]

July

• 4 July – A North Korean civilian defects to the South by crossing through the DMZ with the help of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. ^[21]
• 7 July – The Kalma resort in Wonsan receives its first group of foreign visitors, with 12 Russian tourists arriving on a week-long organized tour. ^[22]
• 9 July – South Korea repatriates six North Koreans after their vessels had drifted across their maritime border. ^[23]
• 13 July – Mount Kumgang is designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. ^[24]
• 18 July – Foreign tourists are banned from the newly opened Wonsan-Kalma beach resort. ^[25]
• 27 July – The Russian airline Nordwind launches flights to Pyongyang, marking the first commercial flights between Pyongyang and Moscow in years. ^[26]

August

• 4 August – The South Korean military begins removing loudspeakers along the DMZ as part of efforts to reduce tensions with North Korea. ^[27]
• 19 August – A group of North Korean soldiers enter the South Korean side of the central section of the DMZ, prompting warning shots from South Korean forces that force them to retreat. ^[28]
• 23 August – Kim Jong Un oversees the test-firing of new air defence missiles which, according to state media KCNA, demonstrate a "fast response" to aerial targets such as attack drones and cruise missiles. ^[29]

September

• 2–3 September – Kim Jong Un visits China to attend the 2025 China Victory Day Parade in Beijing. ^{[30] [31]}
• 5 September – The New York Times publishes an article alleging that US Navy SEALs carried out an attempted infiltration of North Korea to plant listening devices on Kim Jong-un's communications in 2019 but aborted the mission after encountering a North Korean civilian boat and killing its crew. ^[32]
• 25 September – North Korea reopens the Sinuiju-Dandong land postal route with China for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. ^[33]
• 26 September – A North Korean merchant vessel crosses the Northern Limit Line into South Korea, prompting the South Korean military to fire warning shots that forces it to retreat. ^[34]

October

• 6 October – The Pyongyang General Hospital is inaugurated in a ceremony led by Kim Jong-un. ^[35]
• 7–8 October – General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Thongloun Sisoulith makes a state visit to North Korea. ^[36]
• 9 October – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm and Chinese premier Li Qiang make a three-day state visit to North Korea and attend the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Workers' Party. ^{[37] [38]}
• 19 October –
  • A North Korean soldier defects to South Korea by crossing the central section of the DMZ. ^[39]
  • A group of 20 North Korean soldiers briefly cross a section of the DMZ near Paju before retreating following warning shots by South Korean forces. ^[40]
• 23 October – North Korea carries out a test of two hypersonic missiles fired from Ryokpo-guyok in Pyongyang towards Mount Kwesang in Orang County, North Hamgyong Province. ^[41]

Deaths

• 24 February – Jeong Su-il, 90, North Korean spy and defector to South Korea. ^[42]
• 31 March – Kim Shin-jo, 82, North Korean commando (Blue House raid) and defector to South Korea. ^[43]
• 12 September – Kim Seong-min, 63, North Korean defector to South Korea and political activist. ^[44]
• 3 November – Kim Yong-nam, 97, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (1998–2019) and minister of foreign affairs (1983–1998). ^[45]

References

1. "North Korea fires first ballistic missile in two months - Seoul". BBC. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
2. Hagstrom, Anders (2025-01-06). "North Korea carries out first missile launch test since Trump's election". Fox News. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
3. "Ukraine says it captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
4. "Travel agencies say North Korea reopens border city to tourism". France 24. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
5. "Seoul says North Korea is destroying facility that hosted reunions of war-separated families". AP News. 13 February 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
6. McCurry, Justin (27 February 2025). "North Korea behind $1.5bn hack of crypto exchange ByBit, says FBI". The Guardian. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
7. "North Korea says it launched cruise missiles in message to 'enemies'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
8. "N. Korea releases photos of what appears to be airborne control aircraft for 1st time". The Korea Herald. 27 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
9. "N Korea holds first international marathon in six years". BBC. 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
10. Park, Ju-min (7 April 2025). "North Korea holds first Pyongyang marathon after pandemic". Reuters.
11. "South Korea's military fires warning shots after North Korean soldiers cross the border". AP News. 8 April 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
12. Kim Tong-hyung (2025-04-26). "North Korean leader Kim touts new naval destroyer, blames US for tensions". AP News . Retrieved 2025-04-30.
13. Joel Guinto; Jean Mackenzie (2025-04-28). "N Korea confirms it sent troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine war". BBC . Retrieved 2025-04-28.
14. Minji, Lee (8 May 2025). "(3rd LD) N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles in possible test for arms exports to Russia". Yonhap. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
15. Kim Tong-hyung; Kim Hyung-jin (22 May 2025). "North Korea's second naval destroyer is damaged in a failed launch at a ceremony attended by Kim". AP News . Retrieved 22 May 2025.
16. Yun-Hwan, Chae (22 May 2025). "(2nd LD) N. Korea fires multiple cruise missiles after failed warship launch". Yonhap. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
17. Kelly Ng (6 June 2025). "N Korea launches warship after earlier failed attempt". BBC . Retrieved 6 June 2025.
18. "North Korea's limited internet hit by major outage, says analyst". Al Jazeera . 7 June 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
19. "South Korea turns off propaganda loudspeakers to North Korea". BBC News. 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
20. "First train from North Korea arrives in Moscow after five-year pause".
21. "North Korean detained after crossing land border: Seoul military". France 24. 4 July 2025.
22. "North Korea's Benidorm-style resort welcomes first Russian tourists". BBC. 2025-07-12. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
23. "South Korea sends 6 rescued North Koreans back across sea border". AP News. 9 July 2025.
24. "(2nd LD) N. Korea's Mount Kumgang listed as UNESCO World Heritage site". Yonhap. July 13, 2025.
25. "North Korea bans foreign tourists to newly opened beach resort". AP News. 2025-07-18. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
26. "Russia starts direct commercial flights between Moscow and Pyongyang". AP News. 2025-07-28. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
27. Kim, Tong-hyung (4 August 2025). "South Korea begins removing border propaganda speakers in conciliatory gesture toward North". AP News.
28. Kim, Tong-hyung (23 August 2025). "North Korea accuses South of 'serious provocation' over border warning shots". AP News.
29. "North Korea leader Kim oversees firing of new air defence missiles, KCNA says". Reuters. 2025-08-23. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
30. "(8th LD) N. Korea's Kim arrives in Beijing, accompanied by daughter". Yonhap. 2025-09-02. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
31. "(3rd LD) N. Korea's Kim joins Putin, Xi for military parade, marking 1st such meeting in 66 years". Yonhap. 2025-09-03. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
32. "(LEAD) Secret U.S. SEAL mission to plant device to intercept Kim's communications failed in 2019: NYT". Yonhap. 2025-09-06. Retrieved 2025-09-06.
33. "N. Korea, China reopen cross-border land route for postal service exchanges". Yonhap. 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
34. "(LEAD) N. Korean merchant vessel crosses sea border, retreats after warning shots from South". Yonhap. 26 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
35. Zwirko, Colin (7 October 2025). "Kim Jong Un demands major health sector 'reform' at Pyongyang hospital opening". NK News . NK Consulting Inc. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
36. "Lao, North Korean Leaders Hold Historic Talks in State Visit to Pyongyang". The Laotian Times. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
37. Siow, Maria (2025-10-09). "Vietnam's top leader heads to North Korea for first visit in 18 years". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
38. "China's Li arrives in Pyongyang, marking 1st visit by Chinese premier in 16 yrs: report". Yonhap. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
39. "North Korean soldier defects to South Korea across the rivals' heavily fortified border". AP News . 2025-10-19. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
40. "Around 20 N. Korean soldiers briefly cross MDL, retreat after warning shots". Yonhap . 2025-10-23. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
41. "N. Korea says it tested 2 hypersonic projectiles, successfully hit target". Yonhap . 2025-10-23. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
42. "[Obituary] Jeong Su-il, ex-North Korean spy turned Silk Road scholar, dies at 90". The Korea Herald. 2025-02-26. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
43. "Famous North Korean assassin who became a pastor in the South following failed 1968 mission dies". AP News. 9 April 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
44. Choe Hang-sun (14 September 2025). "Kim Seongmin, Defector Who Pierced North Korea by Radio, Dies at 63" . The New York Times . Retrieved 14 September 2025.
45. Park, Boram (4 November 2025). "N. Korea says ex-titular head of parliament, Kim Yong-nam, dies at 97". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 3 November 2025.