Following the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, Kim Jong Un is likely experiencing serious concerns. North Korea immediately condemned the conflict, labeling it an “unjustified aggression.” This reaction underscores the strengthening “anti-American alliance” between Iran and North Korea that has been developing since 1979. The two countries have also collaborated on missile development. A former North Korean diplomat, speaking anonymously, identified Iran as one of the primary destinations for North Korean arms exports. However, analysts consider North Korea more secure and powerful than Iran for two main reasons: its nuclear arsenal and its relationship with China.
During the 2003 Iraq War, then-leader Kim Jong Il disappeared for nearly 50 days. South Korean intelligence reports suggest that during this period, he mostly stayed inside a bunker at the Samjiyon complex, about 600 kilometers from Pyongyang. In contrast, Kim Jong Un has recently become less visible publicly — for instance, there was no significant official response even when Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei allegedly faced a fatal attack. These differing reactions and behaviors reflect North Korea’s growing self-confidence in its own power, according to Yang Yong-seok, former director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service’s North Korea analysis team.
North Korea is indeed a nuclear-armed state. In 2025, former US President Donald Trump formally acknowledged that the country possessed “nuclear power status” and “many nuclear weapons.” According to the 2025 report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, North Korea has approximately 50 nuclear warheads and the capability to produce an additional 40 using fissile material. In July 2024, South Korea warned that North Korea has reached the “final stage” of developing tactical nuclear weapons, which are short-range warheads intended for battlefield use. Last year, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also stated that North Korea is nearing the stage of intercontinental ballistic missile development.
