North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, front row center, visits the country's fissile materials production base and nuclear weapons institute, at an undisclosed location in the North, Jan. 29, in this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap

North Korea will likely maintain its hostile stance toward the U.S. and South Korea while strengthening ties with Russia and China in 2025, experts predicted Tuesday.

"While 2024 was a year of crisis and decision for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, 2025 may present opportunities for consolidation and achievement," Kwak Gil-sup, president of One Korea Center and adjunct professor at Kookmin University's Unification and Convergence Program, said at a forum hosted by Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies.

"Kim made risky bets in 2024 by advocating a ‘two hostile states' theory, diverging from his predecessors' approach toward South Korea and sending troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine."

2025 holds significance as it marks the final year of Pyongyang's five-year economic and defense development plan, the second year of the two hostile states theory as well as the regional development policy and the 80th founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea. It is also the year before the Ninth Party Congress scheduled for January 2026, although the meeting could be convened earlier.

"North Korea's strategic vision for 2025 may include fully implementing its two hostile states theory, increasing troop dispatch to support Russia and continuing war of words with the U.S. and South Korea," Kwak said.

Lee Kwan-se, third from right, director of the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, speaks during a forum on 2024 review and 2025 policy outlook for North Korea at the institute in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Institute for Far Eastern Studies

Chung Young-chul, professor at Sogang University's Graduate School of Public Policy, analyzed that North Korea appears to be focused on domestic affairs.

"At the year-end party meeting and New Year assembly, there were no strong messages directed at the U.S. or South Korea. With the return of U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House, observers anticipate that he would resume dialogue with Kim. But Pyongyang seems reluctant to engage with Washington," he said.

"North Korea will continue to ignore South Korea even after a new administration steps into power. In other words, any form of inter-Korean exchanges or cooperation seems unlikely this year. On the other hand, the reclusive regime is expected to maintain a stable relationship with China and bolster its military capabilities through deepening ties with Russia."

The professor noted that despite signs of strain in North Korea-China ties, both Pyongyang and Beijing will seek to mend their relationship given the multipolar world order and Trump's desire to reengage with Kim.

Ahn Kyung-mo, a professor at Korea National Defense University, explained that North Korea has shifted its defense strategy from bandwagoning to internal balancing centered on military self-reliance and nuclear development.

The professor predicted that North Korea will actively pursue an "expanded internal balancing" strategy, leveraging its partnership with Russia to ensure regime stability while simultaneously managing its relationship with the U.S.

"This shift presents an unprecedented opportunity for the Kim regime, reinforced by the strengthening of North Korea-Russia military cooperation amid the rise of a multipolar world order," Ahn said.