North Korea–China diplomacy: Xi Jinping’s first Pyongyang visit in seven years spotlights tighter political coordination with Kim Jong Un, with state media stressing “mutual trust” and expanded practical cooperation. Sanctions & diplomacy: North Korea reportedly recalled its UK ambassador after Britain sanctioned a children’s camp, cutting ties down to charge d’affaires until sanctions are lifted. AI hardware for defense: A South Korean report says Pyongyang is using older Nvidia Tesla P100 and Qualcomm-era chips to train smaller AI models for military, surveillance, and cyber uses—progress without top-tier compute. Industrial push: North Korea claims it hit 105% of planned output in the 100 days after the party congress, crediting “science and technology” plus upgraded equipment in cement, coal, power, and fertilizer. Cyber threat (North Korea-linked): Microsoft-linked reporting describes Sapphire Sleet using social-engineering lures and macOS AppleScript chains to steal crypto and credentials from high-value targets. Border tech & drones: South Korea plans to shrink the Civilian Control Line near the DMZ and simplify approvals for agricultural drones, while also studying stronger defenses against mass drone swarms at key facilities. Regional security context: NATO chief Mark Rutte warned Russia is supported by North Korea, China, and Iran, including missile technology exchanges.