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.
Earliest story we hold Aug 24, 2025 · 25 stories · 73 independent sources (counted once each) · 392 days
Part ofNorth KoreaSouth KoreaKim Jong-unDonald TrumpSeoulPeople's Republic of ChinaSoutheast AsiaPyongyang
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 sources5 left, 7 center, 3 right
Sep 11– 132026N. Korea fires missiles toward sea13 articles · 10 independent sources3 left, 4 center, 0 right
Aug 202026North Korea fires barrage of missiles toward the sea after dismissing overture from Trump31 articles · 22 independent sources4 left, 8 center, 5 right
Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below
- Aug 25 – 26, 2025Trump tells South Korean president he wants to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un20 articles · 17 independent sources
- Jan 4, 2026North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of South Korean leader’s visit to China16 articles · 16 independent sources
- Mar 29, 2026North Korea conducts engine test for missile capable of targeting US mainland22 articles · 17 independent sources
- Aug 20, 2026North Korea fires barrage of missiles toward the sea after dismissing overture from Trump31 articles · 22 independent sources
- Sep 20 – 21, 2026South Korea says North Korea launched a ballistic missile and another projectile toward the sea22 articles · 14 independent sources
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 of | Left | Center | Right | Articles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 2025 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Aug 25, 2025 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 19 |
| Sep 8, 2025 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Sep 22, 2025 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| Oct 6, 2025 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Oct 20, 2025 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 18 |
| Oct 27, 2025 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| Nov 3, 2025 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| Dec 29, 2025 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 19 |
| Jan 5, 2026 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Jan 26, 2026 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Mar 2, 2026 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Mar 9, 2026 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| Mar 23, 2026 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 21 |
| Apr 6, 2026 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Apr 13, 2026 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 19 |
| May 25, 2026 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| Aug 10, 2026 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| Aug 17, 2026 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 27 |
| Sep 7, 2026 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 11 |
| Sep 14, 2026 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 19 |
| Sep 21, 2026 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
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
August 2025
Aug 24North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervises test of new antiair missiles6 articles · 6 independent sources1 left, 0 center, 1 right- Aug 25– 26Trump tells South Korean president he wants to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un20 articles · 17 independent sources4 left, 5 center, 1 right
September 2025
Sep 9Emboldened Kim Jong Un oversees test of powerful new North Korean rocket engine days after China visit8 articles · 8 independent sources0 left, 3 center, 0 right- Sep 22North Korea's Kim Jong Un ready to talk if U.S. drops denuclearization demand8 articles · 8 independent sources2 left, 1 center, 2 right
- Sep 22North Korean leader recalls ‘good memories’ of Trump and urges U.S. to drop denuclearization demands5 articles · 5 independent sources3 left, 1 center, 1 right
October 2025
Oct 10– 11North Korea displays new long-range missile at a military parade celebrating Kim Jong Un10 articles · 9 independent sources2 left, 2 center, 1 right- Oct 22North Korea fires ballistic missiles toward the east days before Trump visits the South12 articles · 11 independent sources1 left, 4 center, 3 right
- Oct 24– 27Trump says he would ‘love to meet’ Kim Jong Un during Asia trip13 articles · 10 independent sources1 left, 3 center, 5 right
- Oct 29North Korea touts missile tests as Trump visits South Korea11 articles · 11 independent sources2 left, 2 center, 1 right
November 2025
Nov 7South Korea says North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters8 articles · 8 independent sources1 left, 4 center, 1 rightDecember 2025
Dec 29North Korea says it tested long-range cruise missiles7 articles · 7 independent sources1 left, 1 center, 2 rightJanuary 2026
Jan 4North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of South Korean leader’s visit to China16 articles · 16 independent sources4 left, 4 center, 0 right- Jan 5North Korea says latest missile tests involve hypersonic weapons system7 articles · 7 independent sources0 left, 2 center, 1 right
- Jan 27North Korea fires suspected ballistic missiles into sea, S Korea, Japan say5 articles · 4 independent sources1 left, 1 center, 1 right
March 2026
Mar 5North Korean leader Kim inspects new warship, claims progress toward nuclear-armed navy5 articles · 5 independent sources2 left, 0 center, 1 right- Mar 14North Korea fires about 10 missiles toward sea in show of force, Seoul says11 articles · 11 independent sources3 left, 2 center, 1 right
- Mar 29North Korea conducts engine test for missile capable of targeting US mainland22 articles · 17 independent sources2 left, 4 center, 2 right
April 2026
Apr 8North Korea Fires Missiles Toward Sea After Ridiculing South's Hopes for Better Ties6 articles · 6 independent sources0 left, 2 center, 1 right- Apr 14North Korean leader oversees missile tests from naval destroyer6 articles · 4 independent sources0 left, 2 center, 2 right
- Apr 19North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea14 articles · 10 independent sources1 left, 2 center, 1 right
May 2026
May 26North Korea launches ballistic missiles over the sea in latest show of force8 articles · 8 independent sources1 left, 3 center, 1 rightAugust 2026
Aug 12– 13North Korea launches another missile toward sea ahead of U.S.-South Korean military drills10 articles · 10 independent sources0 left, 4 center, 1 right- Aug 20North Korea fires barrage of missiles toward the sea after dismissing overture from Trump31 articles · 22 independent sources4 left, 8 center, 5 right
September 2026
Sep 11– 13N. Korea fires missiles toward sea13 articles · 10 independent sources3 left, 4 center, 0 right- Sep 20– 21South Korea says North Korea launched a ballistic missile and another projectile toward the sea22 articles · 14 independent sources5 left, 7 center, 3 right