China–North Korea Alliance: China marked the 65th anniversary of its friendship treaty with Pyongyang, with Xi and Kim exchanging messages and Beijing pledging its commitment “will not change,” while Premier Li Qiang met North Korean Premier Pak Thae-song to push deeper strategic coordination and expanded cooperation. NATO Clash: North Korea condemned the NATO summit, saying the alliance is built for “bloc-to-bloc confrontation,” and repeated its demand that denuclearization should start with U.S. allies hosting nuclear assets rather than Pyongyang. Anti-Corruption Drive: Kim Jong Un chaired a rare joint meeting of the party, government, and army, warning officials to keep “principle and uprightness” and citing the punishment of Pak Hui Chol over bribery and abuse of power in the military. Military Readiness: Pyongyang also held the First Enlarged Meeting of the Ninth WPK Central Military Commission, calling for stronger politico-ideological and technical readiness across the Korean People’s Army. Tech & Culture: Sejong University in South Korea said a government-funded R&D project will develop personalized AI agent technology to improve cultural access for underserved communities. Cyber Pressure: A South Korean report said the military faced 18,951 cyberattack attempts in 2025, with North Korea-linked hacking concerns highlighted.