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Welcome to The Adversarial. Every other week, we’ll provide you with expert analysis on America’s greatest challengers: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and jihadists. Read more below.***North KoreaNorth Korea’s reaction to the political fallout in Seoul following President Yoon Suk-yeol’s short-lived martial law declaration and subsequent impeachment has remained relatively “subdued,” with still no response about allegations that the martial law plan included attempts to bait North Korean provocations.At North Korea’s year-end party plenary meeting, Kim Jong Un lobbed his usual insults against the United States, South Korea, and Japan. Kim’s new year greetings to Russia appeared to reflect the deeper and more direct ties between the Russian and North Korean militaries, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that nearly 4,000 North Koreans have been injured or killed on the frontlines of warfighting in Russia.On Jan. 6, during U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to South Korea, North Korea test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile, with claims of a hypersonic warhead. North Korean media reported that the missile flew over 930 miles at 12 times the speed of sound, with two peaks, before successfully hitting a sea-based target — although the South Korean military said that those claims were exaggerated. The improved performance compared to the prior test in April 2024, the engine’s reported use of carbon fiber materials, and the inclusion of a new “flight guidance control system” mark notable developments in a short time, raising questions about potential Russian assistance. Additionally, Blinken suggested during his visit that Russia may be close to sharing satellite technology with North Korea, which is consistent with sentiments shared in the 2023 Putin-Kim Summit at the Vostochny Cosmodrome.Launch of a North Korean intermediate-range ballistic missile. Image via KCNA WatchChinaChina is busy preparing for the incoming Trump administration and for mounting pressure on the Chinese economy. Beijing has signaled more government support for the economy in 2025, including monetary easing and increased government spending. Given