North Korea Roundup: Nuclear treaty withdrawal, 10 rockets fired, Covid-19 restrictions

North Korea remains only nation to leave nuclear treaty as Iran signals possible withdrawal

Amid heightened regional tensions and U.S.-led military strikes, Iranian lawmakers are considering a potential withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), a move that would mirror North Korea’s 2003 exit, the only such case to date. North Korea withdrew from the NPT in January 2003, citing threats to national security and later conducted its first nuclear test in 2006. Since then, it has remained the only country to formally leave the treaty. Other non-signatories include India, Israel, Pakistan, and South Sudan. Iran, a signatory since 1970, continues to deny pursuing nuclear weapons. However, the Iranian parliament is now reviewing the country’s NPT membership.

Russia to help North Korea produce Shahed drones, says Ukrainian intelligence

Russia has agreed to assist North Korea in establishing domestic production sites for Iranian-designed Shahed drones, according to Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency (GUR). In addition to drone technology, Western intelligence indicates that North Korea is receiving Russian assistance with its advanced missile systems, space programs, and nuclear capabilities. This support comes amid Pyongyang’s increased involvement in the Ukraine conflict, making it the only nation beyond the main belligerents to reportedly send troops to the front lines. The two countries formalised their growing military cooperation with a mutual defence pact signed in June 2024, solidifying what analysts see as a deepening strategic alliance.

North Korea fires over 10 rockets following U.S.–South Korea–Japan drills

North Korea launched more than 10 rockets into the Yellow Sea on Thursday, a day after South Korea conducted joint air drills with the United States and Japan, according to South Korean military sources. The projectiles were fired from Pyongyang’s upgraded 240-millimetre multiple rocket launcher system, unveiled in 2023. The system is reportedly capable of targeting key population centres, including the Seoul metropolitan area. A South Korean military official said the rockets travelled several tens of kilometres before landing in the Yellow Sea.

North Korea enforces harsh restrictions years after COVID-19, says U.N. official

North Korea continues to enforce severe civil rights restrictions more than two years after the global COVID-19 emergency was declared over, according to James Heenan, the U.N. Human Rights Office representative in Seoul. Despite the World Health Organisation lifting the global emergency status in 2023, North Korea has maintained strict lockdown measures, intensified border controls, and restricted nearly all cross-border activity. Reports indicate that “shoot-to-kill” orders remain in effect along the China border, enforced by North Korean special forces.

Zelenskyy warns of rising threat from North Korea’s missile support to Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that North Korea’s growing military cooperation with Russia poses a significant threat to global security. In his June 20 video address, Zelenskyy cited the increasing use of North Korean-supplied ballistic missiles, now reportedly upgraded, against Ukrainian targets, describing it as evidence of deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. The Ukrainian leader warned that Russia consistently intervenes to protect its allies from international consequences and is actively facilitating North Korea’s and Iran’s weapons capabilities.