Is North Korea safe in 2026?
North Korea scores 32.4/100 on the live safety index — high-risk. The main pressure on the score comes from nuclear risk, sanctions, internet freedom. The score has been stable for 12 days. The 24-hour AI forecast calls the trend stable (projected 31.7/100).
32.4 /100high-risk
30-day trend
North Korea's score rose by +1.0 over the last 30 days (31.4 → 32.4).
Threat breakdown
| Category | Pressure | Score / cap |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear risk | 11.9 / 12 | |
| Sanctions | 3.9 / 4 | |
| Internet freedom | 6.8 / 7 | |
| Political instability | 14.2 / 15 | |
| Economy | 5.4 / 8 | |
| Military conflict | 16.7 / 30 | |
| Crime | 6.2 / 15 | |
| Natural disasters | 1.6 / 5 | |
| Public health | 0.8 / 3 | |
| Ecology | 0.1 / 1 |
Higher category scores mean more threat pressure; each category is capped by its weight in the 0–100 index. How scores are computed.
Official travel advisory
4 Do Not Travel
The U.S. State Department places North Korea at Level 4 — Do Not Travel. Our live index reads 32.4/100. That advisory was last revised Apr 29, 2025, 490 days ago; the index above is recomputed continuously from current reporting.
Source: U.S. Department of State, revised Apr 29, 2025. Levels run 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel). This page is not travel advice.
Latest recorded events
- North Korea says hostile US policy unchanged, nuclear arms to keep growing
- North Korea fires possible ballistic missile toward sea
- South Korea fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers crossed demarcation line, Yonhap says
- N. Korea vows to secure 'unparalleled' retaliatory capability over S. Korea's nuclear submarine push
- North Korea resumes naval base construction as it modernises fleet
- North Korea missile launch hints at upgraded weapons exports to Russia for Ukraine war
24-hour forecast
Trend: stable · projected score 31.7/100 (generated )
Repeated missile activity and hostile nuclear rhetoric signal continued escalation.
Compared with nearby countries
| Country | Score | 0–100 | vs North Korea |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Korea | 32.4 | — | |
| South Korea | 84.3 | +51.9 | |
| Japan | 91.1 | +58.7 | |
| Taiwan | 74.3 | +41.9 | |
| Mongolia | 89.5 | +57.1 | |
| China | 68.3 | +35.9 |