Kim Jong Un oversaw hypersonic missile tests as North Korea ramped up weapons displays ahead of a major political conference, state media reported.

And yet: some observers wonder whether a society as patriarchal as North Korea’s could accept a female leader. Under Mr Kim, several women have gained big jobs. The second-most powerful person in the country is Mr Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong. For the first time in its history North Korea has a female foreign minister: Choe Son Hui.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected several ballistic missile launches from North Korea's capital region around 7:50 a.m. It stated that the missiles flew approximately 560 miles and that South Korean and U.S. authorities were analyzing the details of the launches.

South Korea launched a probe into possible civilian drone flights after North Korea accused Seoul of airspace violations. President Lee Jae Myung warned of serious security consequences amid rising inter-Korean tensions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the modernization of his country’s missile and artillery production, indicating Pyongyang is moving toward expanded output of both nuclear and conventional weapons ahead of its next ruling party congress.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to serve as a mediator to help resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis and ease animosities between the two Koreas.

North Korea has launched a harsh crackdown on the recent boom in private tutoring. The official reason: tutoring is “non-socialist behavior.” But parents have expressed anger, arguing authorities must “normalize” public education if they want to bring tutoring under control.