This factsheet offers a brief introduction to the ballistic missile submarines of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the associated submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

Since 2018, Japan has advanced its stand-off weapons programmes. It is currently planning to introduce the Norway-sourced Joint Strike Missile and undertaking research and development and/or deployment of at least six types of indigenous stand-off weapons. Theoretically, the maximum ranges of some of these weapons would become long enough to reach the territories of neighbouring countries. Therefore, concerns have been raised in Japan that such weapons could be used for active offensive operations.

The report assesses events on the Korean Peninsula in March 2021 when US-ROK joint military exercises were conducted, high-level consultations between the US/ROK/Japan took place and the DPRK issued numerous statements criticizing the aforementioned, while also launching short-range missiles on two separate dates.

ONN analyst Xu Tianran and Melissa Hanham co-authored a chapter for the new volume from George Washington University on The Next 50 Years of Nuclear Proliferation. The chapter titled The Next 50 Years of Missile Proliferation tries to illustrate the future trends of missile proliferation by examining the history of ballistic and cruise missile proliferation.

The 8th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was held in Pyongyang from 5 to 12 January 2021. This paper provides an overview of the structural and personnel changes that resulted from the 8th Congress and analyses their implications for the leadership’s governance style in the coming years.

The 8th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was held in Pyongyang from 5 to 12 January 2021. This paper provides an overview of the decisions taken during the 8th Congress and analyzes the directions of the country’s economic, national defence and external policies, including its nuclear weapons programme.

On 18 December 2020, the Japanese Cabinet decided on a new policy to upgrade its missile defence systems to cope with the evolving missile threats in the surrounding region. Meanwhile, speculations have been brewing with regard to whether Japan might abandon its traditional policy of exclusive self-defence, drift from its alliance with the United States or start developing indigenous strike capabilities against military targets within its adversaries’ territories.

Open Nuclear Network (ONN), a programme of One Earth Future, is a non-governmental organisation committed to global peacebuilding efforts via the two-pronged approach explained in this paper. ONN is dedicated to reducing nuclear risks through the use of open source data analysis and engagement with decision makers in areas of conflict. Its focus this year — the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War — is on the Korean Peninsula and the continued tension in the region.

Following the 2020 parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea where DPRK Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un delivered his congratulatory address to the nation, ONN performed a detailed analysis of his speech. Using qualitative and quantitative methods of text and sentiment analysis, the article determines how unique the 2020 address was compared to all the previous speeches given by the North Korean leader.

North Korea’s 75th Anniversary parade showed off an abundance of new military hardware, including a new ICBM over 25m in length. Analysts from the Open Nuclear Network breakdown what it means for the region and the US, and how this new weapon brings a destabilizing new challenge to nuclear risk reduction.