North Korea's missile tests and Kim Jong Un's terms for talks with Trump

Active · last development Sep 20, 2026: “South Korea says North Korea launched a ballistic missile and another projectile toward the sea”

What this arc covers

North Korea's weapons tests from 2025 into 2026, including ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles and an engine for a missile able to reach the US mainland, and the diplomacy around them: Trump's wish to meet Kim Jong Un, Kim's demand that the US drop denuclearization, and the missile launches timed to Trump's visit to South Korea and to US-South Korean drills.

South Korea

Earliest story we hold Aug 24, 2025 · 25 stories · 73 independent sources (counted once each) · 392 days

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Sep 20– 212026South Korea says North Korea launched a ballistic missile and another projectile toward the sea22 articles · 14 independent sources
5 left, 7 center, 3 right
Sep 11– 132026N. Korea fires missiles toward sea13 articles · 10 independent sources
3 left, 4 center, 0 right
Aug 202026North Korea fires barrage of missiles toward the sea after dismissing overture from Trump31 articles · 22 independent sources
4 left, 8 center, 5 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Aug 2025Nov 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Sep 2026

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Aug 18, 20251014
Aug 25, 202545119
Sep 8, 20250306
Sep 22, 202552311
Oct 6, 20252217
Oct 20, 202526418
Oct 27, 202523313
Nov 3, 20251416
Dec 29, 202555219
Jan 5, 20260216
Jan 26, 20261114
Mar 2, 20262013
Mar 9, 20263218
Mar 23, 202624221
Apr 6, 20260215
Apr 13, 202614219
May 25, 20261318
Aug 10, 20260418
Aug 17, 202648527
Sep 7, 202634011
Sep 14, 202655319
Sep 21, 20260303

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

37% left · 48% center · 15% right of 73 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 25 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. August 2025

    Aug 24North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervises test of new antiair missiles6 articles · 6 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 1 right
  2. Aug 25– 26Trump tells South Korean president he wants to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un20 articles · 17 independent sources
    4 left, 5 center, 1 right
  3. September 2025

  4. Sep 22North Korea's Kim Jong Un ready to talk if U.S. drops denuclearization demand8 articles · 8 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 2 right
  5. October 2025

    Oct 10– 11North Korea displays new long-range missile at a military parade celebrating Kim Jong Un10 articles · 9 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 1 right
  6. Oct 22North Korea fires ballistic missiles toward the east days before Trump visits the South12 articles · 11 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 3 right
  7. Oct 24– 27Trump says he would ‘love to meet’ Kim Jong Un during Asia trip13 articles · 10 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 5 right
  8. Oct 29North Korea touts missile tests as Trump visits South Korea11 articles · 11 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 1 right
  9. November 2025

    Nov 7South Korea says North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters8 articles · 8 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 1 right
  10. December 2025

    Dec 29North Korea says it tested long-range cruise missiles7 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 2 right
  11. January 2026

    Jan 4North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of South Korean leader’s visit to China16 articles · 16 independent sources
    4 left, 4 center, 0 right
  12. Jan 5North Korea says latest missile tests involve hypersonic weapons system7 articles · 7 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 1 right
  13. Jan 27North Korea fires suspected ballistic missiles into sea, S Korea, Japan say5 articles · 4 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 1 right
  14. March 2026

    Mar 5North Korean leader Kim inspects new warship, claims progress toward nuclear-armed navy5 articles · 5 independent sources
    2 left, 0 center, 1 right
  15. Mar 14North Korea fires about 10 missiles toward sea in show of force, Seoul says11 articles · 11 independent sources
    3 left, 2 center, 1 right
  16. Mar 29North Korea conducts engine test for missile capable of targeting US mainland22 articles · 17 independent sources
    2 left, 4 center, 2 right
  17. April 2026

    Apr 8North Korea Fires Missiles Toward Sea After Ridiculing South's Hopes for Better Ties6 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 1 right
  18. Apr 14North Korean leader oversees missile tests from naval destroyer6 articles · 4 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 2 right
  19. Apr 19North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea14 articles · 10 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 1 right
  20. May 2026

    May 26North Korea launches ballistic missiles over the sea in latest show of force8 articles · 8 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 1 right
  21. August 2026

    Aug 12– 13North Korea launches another missile toward sea ahead of U.S.-South Korean military drills10 articles · 10 independent sources
    0 left, 4 center, 1 right
  22. Aug 20North Korea fires barrage of missiles toward the sea after dismissing overture from Trump31 articles · 22 independent sources
    4 left, 8 center, 5 right
  23. September 2026

    Sep 11– 13N. Korea fires missiles toward sea13 articles · 10 independent sources
    3 left, 4 center, 0 right
  24. Sep 20– 21South Korea says North Korea launched a ballistic missile and another projectile toward the sea22 articles · 14 independent sources
    5 left, 7 center, 3 right