North Korea tested hypersonic missiles on Jan. 4, 2026, amid regional tensions and claims of military advances.

According to official media, North Korea tested hypersonic missiles on January 4, 2026, with leader Kim Jong Un supervising the launches. The tests, which took place ahead of the first Workers' Party congress in five years and were intended to evaluate preparedness and bolster the nation's nuclear deterrent, caused alarm throughout the region. Particularly as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung was getting ready for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, South Korea and Japan detected several missile launches and called them provocations. North Korea also reported advancements in long-range cruise missiles and a nuclear-powered submarine. The nation denounced a U.S. operation in Venezuela that overthrew President Nicolás Maduro, denouncing it as an act of aggression and using international tensions as an excuse to increase its military power. Regarding the hypersonic missiles' actual performance, experts are still dubious.