January 16 – Kim Jong Un declares South Korea as the "primary foe", rejects unification, and calls for war planning, severing ties and closing organizations amid escalating tensions.[3]
27 May – North Korea announces the failure of an attempt to launch its second spy satellite into orbit after the rocket carrying it explodes mid-air.[11]
29 May – North Korea deploys 260 balloons carrying garbage and possible human waste over South Korea, which Pyongyang says is in retaliation for balloons sent into the North by anti-regime activists.[12]
6 June – North Korea receives 200,000 anti-Pyongyang leaflets, U.S. bills, and USB sticks containing K-pop songs and South Korean dramas to North Korea with 10 balloons, sent by a South Korean activists’ group led by North Korean defector Park Sang-hak in retaliation for North Korea sending balloons carrying trash to South Korea.[15]
9 June – A group of North Korean soldiers enter the South Korean side of the DMZ, prompting warning shots from South Korean forces that force them to retreat.[16]
18 June – A group of North Korean soldiers enter the South Korean side of the central section of the DMZ, prompting warning shots from South Korean forces that force them to retreat.[17]
19 June – Russian president Vladimir Putin visits Pyongyang as part of the first visit of a Russian leader to North Korea since 2000, the two sign an agreement to grant mutual aid and support in case either nation faces aggression.[18]
20 June – A group of North Korean soldiers enter the South Korean side of the DMZ, prompting warning shots from South Korean forces that force them to retreat.[19]
16 July – The South Korean National Intelligence Service announces the defection of North Korean diplomat Ri Il Kyu and his family from his posting in Cuba in November 2023.[20]
31 July – More than 5,000 people in Sinuiju, Uiju and Chagang are reported stranded due to floods that inundate 4,100 houses and 3,000 hectares (7,410 acres) of farmland.[23]
16 September – North Korea announces that it will revise its constitution on 7 October, with changes including designating South Korea as its primary enemy.[27]