US Issues Update on North Korea Military Power
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The latest United States intelligence assessment indicates that nuclear-armed North Korea has strengthened its capabilities to conduct prolonged operations in defense of its territory.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency and the North Korean Embassy in China for comment via website contact form and email, respectively.
Why It Matters
The U.S. and North Korea engaged in the Korean War with their respective allies—South Korea, China and the Soviet Union. Although an armistice was reached to halt hostilities, the Korean Peninsula technically remains in a state of war as no peace treaty was concluded.
Soldiers marching in a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, on September 9, 2018.
Soldiers marching in a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, on September 9, 2018.
Ng Han Guan/AP Photo
U.S. forces have remained in South Korea with more than 28,500 military personnel to deter North Korea's provocations and attacks. Meanwhile, North Korea has accused the U.S. and South Korea of rehearsing "preemptive attacks" on the country through joint military drills.
The assessment was prepared by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, a support agency of the Pentagon. Last week, it also warned in a separate report that North Korea's nuclear missiles could overwhelm the defense system protecting the U.S. homeland within a decade.
What To Know
Ankit Panda, a senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, wrote on social media on Tuesday that the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency had revised its assessment of North Korea's capabilities to conduct territorial defense operations.
The agency's latest assessment—presented to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations earlier this month—said the North Korean army "almost certainly is capable of mounting a prolonged defense" of the country's territory.
Been tracking DIA assessments of North Korea for a while and this jumps out:2025 ATA (armedservices.house.gov/uploadedfile...): 'almost certainly capable of mounting a prolonged defense' 2021 (www.dia.mil/Portals/110/...): KPA at 0.5x resources for sustaining defensive combat operations.
[image or embed] — Ankit Panda (@nktpnd.bsky.social) May 20, 2025 at 11:24 PM
While North Korea is in its "strongest strategic position in decades," capable of threatening American forces and allies in Northeast Asia, its "rapidly aging" conventional forces face what the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency called "resource constraints" in modernization.
In its 2021 report on North Korea's military power, the agency assessed that Pyongyang might have sufficient supplies across all categories to sustain defensive operations for "two to three months" rather than the six months required under its doctrinal planning.
North Korea would seek to "maximize its defensive advantages"—including inhospitable terrain and widespread use of underground facilities—to increase the cost of seizing and holding its territory should deterrence against U.S. military intervention fail, the report said.
The reasons behind the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency's revision of its assessment of North Korea's defensive capabilities remain unclear. The latest assessment also said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was "increasingly confident" in the security of his regime.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaking at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on May 9 for celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaking at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on May 9 for celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II.
Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
Last month, U.S. and South Korean special operations forces conducted a training exercise to enhance their "rapid infiltration capabilities," which are considered essential for executing "decapitation" missions against North Korea's leadership in the event of renewed hostilities.
What People Are Saying
Ankit Panda, a senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote on Bluesky: "There seems to have been a meaningful shift in North Korea's conventional readiness for territorial defense. Not inconsistent with what we've seen in open sources (including [North Korean] state media)."
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said in its 2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment report: "North Korea remains one of the most militarized nations in the world with more than 1 million active duty personnel and more than 7 million reserve and paramilitary personnel."
What Happens Next
While North Korea continues to enhance its defensive capabilities, it is also advancing its military posture to threaten the U.S. homeland, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Republicans advance measure to ban noncitizens from voting in local DC elections
WASHINGTON — The House advanced a bill to ban noncitizens from voting in local elections in Washington, D.C., marking the latest step from Republicans to crack down on city policies they view as too liberal. Lawmakers voted 268-148 largely along party lines to advance the measure, sending the bill over to the Republican-led Senate for consideration. The bill managed to garner some bipartisan support after 56 Democrats voted in favor. However, the legislation's future is uncertain as it would require seven Democrats to buck party leadership and support the proposal. 'The right to vote is a defining privilege of American citizenship,' House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a speech on the House floor. 'Diluting that right by extending it to noncitizens — whether here legally or illegally — undermines the voice of D.C. residents.' The bill would overturn the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act, a bill passed by the D.C. Council in 2022 that permits undocumented residents living in Washington to vote in local elections. City lawmakers have defended the measure by pointing to a 'long history of the U.S. allowing noncitizens to vote in local (or) state' elections. Lawmakers also note many of the undocumented residents pay local taxes, support businesses, and attend district schools — arguing that should qualify them to have a say in local elections. However, Republicans have argued that allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections sets a dangerous precedent that could negatively harm local governments. 'Some may wrongly dismiss these as local elections. The reality is local elections are a vital part of our democratic process and have a significant impact on communities,' Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, who led the bill in the House, said in a speech. 'Local elections determine matters such as taxation, the criminal code, and the election of city council members who create essential ordinances, including those that dictate voting rights.' Additionally, Republicans have criticized the law as a way to dilute 'the voice of American citizens.' 'It's also important to acknowledge that many local elections are decided by razor-thin margins underscoring their significance and importance of active participation,' Pfluger said. GOP lawmakers also cited opposition from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who withheld her signature from the ordinance but allowed it to take effect. 'Why would my colleagues on the other side of the aisle want foreigners to vote in local elections in Washington, D.C.? What's the purpose?' Pfluger said. 'Free and fair elections are prerequisites for the healthy republic our founding fathers envisioned, with the District of Columbia as the epicenter.' House Republicans passed a bill in 2023 seeking to repeal the D.C. law allowing noncitizens to vote. The bill was spearheaded by Republicans but 52 Democrats ultimately joined all Republicans in approving the bill despite efforts from Democratic leadership to quash the proposal. However, the legislation was never considered in the Senate, which was controlled by Democrats at the time. Despite not being a state, Washington is permitted to operate as an independent city government under the D.C. Home Rule Act. However, local laws are still subject to congressional approval before they can take effect, occasionally setting up showdowns between Congress and local lawmakers. The vote on Tuesday is the first of three bills being considered this week by the House to rein in some of D.C.'s local ordinances. Other proposals being considered would rescind D.C. Council policies allowing city employees to not comply with requests from the Department of Homeland Security or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Elon Musk backs Warren Buffett's proposal to ‘end the deficit in 5 minutes' as the bold idea gains steam again
Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. The U.S. government has been running budget deficits for years — consistently spending more than it collects. And while neither party has managed to rein in the red ink, legendary investor Warren Buffett once offered a surprisingly simple fix. "I could end the deficit in five minutes,' Buffett told CNBC's Becky Quick in a 2011 interview. 'You just pass a law that says that any time there's a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election.' Now, that old clip is going viral again — and it's gaining fresh support in high places. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has an important message for the next wave of American retirees — here's how he says you can best weather the US retirement crisis Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Utah Senator Mike Lee reposted the video on X, asking the public, 'Would you support this amendment?' The question sparked a wave of responses, including one from Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk, who replied: '100%. This is the way.' But Lee isn't just crowdsourcing opinions — he's trying to turn the idea into a reality. 'I'm drafting a constitutional amendment to oust every member of Congress whenever inflation exceeds 3%. It's better to disqualify politicians than for an entire nation to suffer under the yoke of inflation,' he wrote on X. While Lee referenced both inflation and deficits, the logic echoes Buffett's frustration: tying lawmakers' job security to the nation's fiscal health. Economists have long noted a connection between excessive government spending and inflation. The late Nobel Prize–winning economist Milton Friedman once famously said, 'What produces [inflation] is too much government spending and too much government creation of money and nothing else,' adding, 'Only Washington can create money.' But enshrining that accountability into law — especially one that threatens every member of Congress with job loss — is a heavy lift. Buffett's threshold was a deficit of more than 3% of GDP. In fiscal 2024, the U.S. economy generated $28.83 trillion in GDP, while the federal government spent $6.75 trillion and collected $4.92 trillion in revenue. That left a $1.83 trillion deficit — or 6.3% of GDP. By Buffett's rule, every sitting member of Congress would be out — and many X users were quick to point that out. 'The only problem is that the people we are suggesting be fired are the ones who get to vote on that. And they're never going to vote for their own cancellation,' X user Lorrie Ann wrote. 'This is why we need term limits and why they won't even entertain the idea!' While the odds of implementing Buffett's fix to solve America's deficit problem are slim, there are plenty of tactics you can use to improve your own fiscal health — and in this case, your vote is the only one that counts. Here are a few ways to avoid running a deficit — and start building a personal surplus — in 2025 and beyond. If you want to improve your finances, the first step is understanding where your money goes each month. Track all your expenses for 30 days, then sort them into two categories: necessities — like rent, groceries, utilities and health care — and discretionary spending, such as dining out, entertainment, shopping and hobbies. This breakdown gives you a clear picture of your spending habits and helps identify areas where you can cut back. But trimming waste isn't just about skipping lattes or takeout. Even in essential categories, you may be spending more than you need to. The good news? With a bit of research, those costs can often be significantly reduced. For instance, car insurance is a major recurring expense, and many people overpay without realizing it. According to Forbes, the average cost of full-coverage car insurance is $2,149 per year (or $179 per month). However, rates can vary widely depending on your state, driving history and vehicle type, and you could be paying more than necessary. By using you can easily compare quotes from multiple insurers, such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO, to ensure you're getting the best deal. In just two minutes, you could find rates as low as $29 per month. Meanwhile, home insurance is another major expense where smart shoppers can save big. With OfficialHomeInsurance, comparing home insurance rates is fast and hassle-free. Just enter a few basic details and the platform will instantly sort through over 200 insurers to find you the best deals available in your area. You'll be able to review all your offers in one place, and quickly find the coverage you need for the lowest possible cost, saving an average of $482 a year. Read more: Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — Trimming expenses is one way to create a surplus — but boosting income can be just as powerful. And while asking for a raise doesn't always lead to results, there are ways to earn money without clocking in extra hours. That's where passive income comes in: money that keeps flowing with minimal day-to-day effort. One of the most popular ways to tap into passive income potential is through real estate. When you own a rental property, tenants pay you rent each month — providing a steady stream of cash flow. It's also a time-tested hedge against inflation, since both property values and rental income tend to rise along with the cost of living. Of course, purchasing a property requires significant capital — and finding the right tenant takes time and effort. But thanks to new investment platforms like Arrived, you don't need to own a property outright to gain exposure to real estate. Backed by world class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of rental homes with as little as $100, all without the hassle of mowing lawns, fixing leaky faucets or handling difficult tenants. The process is simple: Browse a curated selection of homes that have been vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, select the number of shares you'd like to purchase, and then sit back as you start receiving positive rental income distributions from your investment. Another option is Homeshares, which gives accredited investors access to the $35 trillion U.S. home equity market — a space that's historically been the exclusive playground of institutional investors. With a minimum investment of $25,000, investors can gain direct exposure to hundreds of owner-occupied homes in top U.S. cities through their U.S. Home Equity Fund — without the headaches of buying, owning or managing property. With risk-adjusted target returns ranging from 14% to 17%, this approach provides an effective, hands-off way to invest in owner-occupied residential properties across regional markets. JPMorgan sees gold soaring to $6,000/ounce — use this 1 simple IRA trick to lock in those potential shiny gains (before it's too late) Are you rich enough to join the top 1%? Here's the net worth you need to rank among America's wealthiest — plus a few strategies to build that first-class portfolio You're probably already overpaying for this 1 'must-have' expense — and thanks to Trump's tariffs, your monthly bill could soar even higher. Here's how 2 minutes can protect your wallet right now Access to this $22.5 trillion asset class has traditionally been limited to elite investors — until now. Here's how to become the landlord of Walmart or Whole Foods without lifting a finger This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump Admin Plans to Slash All USAID International Positions
The Trump administration is planning on cutting all of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) international positions by the end of September, and transferring control to the State Department. According to a State Department cable obtained by The Guardian Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered that USAID's entire overseas workforce be eliminated, granting the State Department 'responsibility for foreign assistance programming previously undertaken by USAID' starting on June 15. 'The Department of State is streamlining procedures under National Security Decision Directive 38 to abolish all USAID overseas positions,' the cable said. The move would affect thousands of USAID staff members, such as contractors, foreign service officers, and employed personnel, across over 100 countries. The Guardian reported that chiefs of mission at U.S. embassies were told to prepare themselves for the cuts and changes that would go into effect over the next four months. The administration has already cut around 90 percent of USAID's foreign aid contracts during Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) rampage back in February. Musk, who has previously called the agency a 'criminal organization' and that it was 'time for it to die,' also spearheaded a near total wipe-out of its 10,000 strong work-force, reducing it to only 294 employees in March. At the time, former USAID administrator J. Brian Atwood warned that 'a lot of people will not survive' the administration's devastating decision. According to The Guardian, internal documents revealed that several other USAID senior officials also warned Rubio against the drastic cuts, emphasizing the devastating impacts they would have over the next decade if implemented. USAID has been on the president's radar ever since his return to office. Trump signed an executive order on his first day back as president which placed a 90-day pause on U.S. foreign development assistance for 'assessment of programmatic efficiencies and consistency with United States foreign policy.' Two weeks later, a state department press release revealed that in an 'interim step toward gaining control and better understanding' over USAID's activity, Trump would be appointing Rubio as acting administrator of the agency. The president claimed that the agency was 'run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we're getting them out,' and that once USAID was gutted, then the administration would be able to 'make a decision' on its future. The State Department doubled down on the president's sentiment in its press release, alleging that USAID had 'long strayed from its original mission of responsibly advancing American interests abroad,' and that it was now 'abundantly clear that significant portions of USAID funding are not aligned with the core national interests of the United States.' In a speech announcing his new position, Rubio also admonished the agency for their 'ridiculous' behavior. 'Everything they do has to be aligned with U.S. foreign policy,' he said. 'And the attitude that USAID has adopted over the years is no, we are independent of the national interest.' 'There are things that [USAID] does that are good and there are things that it does that we have strong questions about,' Rubio added. Nicholas Enrich, USAID's former acting assistant administrator for global health, said in a series of staff memos obtained by the press in late February that pausing the agency's lifesaving programs would 'no doubt result in preventable death, destabilization, and threats to national security on a massive scale.' He stated that if the cutbacks were not restored, then each year 1 million starving children would not have access to food, 28,000 people will suffer from infectious diseases like Ebola, and hundreds of millions of people will suffer from polio infections over the next decade, with 200,000 more people becoming paralyzed by polio, among other impacts. Enrich said he was placed on leave minutes after sending out his memos, though a source familiar with the matter told Reuters that the agency had already decided to place him on leave days earlier. According to NPR, USAID's website went dark on Feb. 1, and its X account was also wiped. Now, the website only has a 'Notification of Administrative Leave' statement which was released on Feb. 23.
