In its first direct criticism of the Trump administration, North Korea lashed out at U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for calling it a “rogue” state and warned Monday that such “coarse and nonsensical remarks” will never contribute to U.

Though North Korean ballistic missiles account for only a small portion of Russia's missile strikes they carry a large warhead of up to one tonne and have a range of up to 800 km, the military source said. The Iskander-M, an equivalent Russian missile, carries a smaller payload and has a shorter range of 500 km.

South Korea’s military says it suspects North Korea is preparing to send additional troops to Russia after its soldiers already deployed on the Russian-Ukraine war fronts suffered heavy casualties

North Korean soldiers previously fighting alongside Russia's army on the Kursk front line appear not to have been engaged in combat since mid-January, South Korea's spy agency told AFP on Tuesday, after Ukraine claimed they had been withdrawn following heavy losses.

South Korea also said that the North is preparing to test-fire a ballistic missile intended to reach the United States

"The worst problem we are facing is the one coming from North Korea," the head of Kyiv's military intelligence agency said in the fall.

North Korean ballistic missiles have been striking targets in Ukraine with increasing accuracy in recent weeks compared to over the past year — suggesting the Hermit Kingdom is using the battlefield as a testing ground for its new tech.

North Korean missiles used by Russia in attacks on Ukraine since December have become more accurate, Reuters reported on Feb. 6, citing sources familiar with the matter. Analysts believe North Korea is using the battlefield as a testing ground for its missile technology,

Experts say Pyongyang’s advancing missile technology raises global security risks and threatens regional stability.