As the world’s attention turned to South Korea this week, North Korea seized the moment to flex its military muscle, announcing the successful test-firing of sea-to-surface cruise missiles just hours before U.S. President Donald Trump touched down for a high-stakes diplomatic visit. The timing was no accident—North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described the tests, conducted on October 28, 2025, as a major step forward in expanding the operational sphere of the country’s nuclear-armed military. The missiles, according to KCNA, flew for more than two hours before striking their targets in North Korea’s western waters with precision.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launches, noting that preparations had been detected and that the cruise missiles were fired around 3 p.m. local time. In a statement, the Joint Chiefs emphasized that South Korea and the United States were closely analyzing the new weapons and maintaining a combined defense readiness capable of a “dominant response” to any North Korean provocation. The message was clear: while North Korea showcased its growing capabilities, the U.S.-South Korea alliance was not about to be caught off guard.
The tests, attended by senior North Korean military official Pak Jong Chon, were also an opportunity for the regime to showcase its newly developed destroyers, the Choe Hyon and Kang Kon. These vessels, described by leader Kim Jong Un as key assets in his plan to strengthen the navy, represent yet another sign of Pyongyang’s determination to modernize its armed forces—even as it faces international sanctions and diplomatic isolation.
This latest round of cruise missile launches followed short-range ballistic missile tests just a week prior. North Korea claimed those launches involved a new hypersonic system designed to bolster its nuclear war deterrent. They were the first ballistic missile tests in five months, according to the Associated Press, and underscored a pattern: whenever the world’s gaze shifts to the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang is ready with a show of force.
President Trump, meanwhile, arrived in the city of Gyeongju for a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit comes ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, set to open on October 31. Though Trump’s itinerary was packed, he made no secret of his desire to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un—a prospect that has fascinated and frustrated diplomats in equal measure since the two leaders’ high-profile, but ultimately fruitless, summits during Trump’s first term.
“I know Kim Jong Un very well. We get along very well,” Trump said at the start of his meeting with President Lee, according to the Associated Press. “We really weren’t able to work out timing.” Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Japan to South Korea, Trump appeared to downplay the significance of North Korea’s latest missile activity. “He’s been launching missiles for decades, right?” he remarked, suggesting a sense of weary familiarity with Pyongyang’s tactics.
Yet, beneath the surface, the stakes are undeniably high. North Korea has shunned all forms of dialogue with Washington and Seoul since nuclear diplomacy with Trump collapsed in 2019 over disputes about U.S.-led sanctions. The two leaders met three times during Trump’s first term, with their last encounter at the Korean border village of Panmunjom. Since then, the diplomatic freeze has only deepened, and many experts believe Kim won’t return to talks unless he receives significant concessions—namely, extensive relief from sanctions.
Trump, for his part, has repeatedly expressed hope for a new round of diplomacy. He even indicated he’d be willing to extend his Asian trip if a meeting with Kim could be arranged, hinting that sanctions relief might be on the table if Pyongyang agreed to talk. But South Korean officials remained skeptical, telling The Associated Press that a Trump-Kim summit was unlikely during this visit.
The North Korean regime appears unmoved by Trump’s overtures. In September 2025, Kim Jong Un reiterated that he would not return to talks with the United States unless Washington drops its demand for North Korea’s denuclearization—a nonstarter for multiple U.S. administrations. Instead, Kim has shifted his focus to Russia, sending thousands of troops and large quantities of military equipment to support President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. By embracing the idea of a “new Cold War,” Kim is positioning North Korea as a key player in an emerging bloc opposed to the U.S.-led West.
During their summit in Gyeongju, President Lee Jae Myung—who has advocated for greater reconciliation with North Korea—suggested that Kim might not fully grasp Trump’s sincerity. Nevertheless, Lee argued that the American president’s outreach could still help foster peace on the Korean Peninsula, even if immediate breakthroughs remain elusive.
For now, analysts say that North Korea’s missile tests serve multiple purposes: demonstrating technological progress to both domestic and international audiences, sending a pointed message to visiting U.S. officials, and reminding the world that Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions remain undiminished. The timing, just hours before Trump’s arrival, was surely calculated to maximize visibility and impact.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and South Korea continue to present a united front. Both countries’ militaries are on high alert, pouring over data from the recent launches and recalibrating their joint defense posture as needed. “South Korea and the United States are analyzing the weapons and maintaining a combined defense readiness capable of a dominant response against any North Korean provocation,” the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reiterated, according to CBC News.
As for Trump, he faces a familiar dilemma: how to engage a regime that demands maximum concessions up front, while offering little in return. His willingness to meet Kim—and even to discuss sanctions relief—shows a continued belief in the power of personal diplomacy. But with Kim’s priorities now firmly aligned with Moscow, and with North Korea’s weapons programs advancing apace, the prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough seem as remote as ever.
Yet, in the unpredictable world of Korean Peninsula politics, surprises are always possible. For now, though, North Korea’s missile tests have once again put the region—and the world—on notice, reminding all parties that the path to peace remains fraught with obstacles and uncertainty.
