April issue examines what the global security shifts triggered by the Iran War imply for the Korean Peninsula, while offering a multidimensional assessment of North Korea’s “Regional Development 20×10 Policy.” The Special Interview diagnoses the weakening of the international order, seen in the limits of the NPT regime and strains in traditional alliances, and stresses the need for South Korea to reinforce norms-based solidarity as North Korea advances operational nuclear delivery capabilities, including SLBMs. The Trends and Analysis and Economic Data sections place the 20×10 Policy, now in its second year, within North Korea’s regional economic policy since the 1950s. They note short-term gains in expanding the light-industry base, but also raise sustainability concerns over cost burdens shifted to residents, fiscal and sanctions-related constraints, and inefficiencies from small-scale, duplicative local investment. A text-mining analysis of *Rodong Sinmun* further shows a sharp propaganda shift from “agriculture” to “regional development.” Overall, the issue illuminates North Korea’s pursuit of regime stability through self-reliance amid external security pressures and domestic economic strain, drawing mid- to long-term implications for inter-Korean relations and foreign policy.