North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a test of an attack drone and instructed for an increased application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the technology, as reported by state media on Friday.
Photographs released by the official Korean Central News Agency depicted the unmanned vehicle taking flight and subsequently destroying a target.
According to state media, the exercise showcased the “superb combat effectiveness of Kumsong-series tactical attack drones,” with reports indicating that Kim expressed “great satisfaction” with the outcome.
Drones are becoming a “significant military operational asset, elevating it to a top-priority and crucial task in the modernization of the armed forces of the DPRK,” Kim reportedly stated, utilizing the acronym for North Korea.
He also mandated “efforts to swiftly advance the newly-introduced artificial intelligence technology” as well as the “expansion and enhancement” of drone production capabilities.
Analyst Hong Min from Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification noted that Kim perceives drone technology as essential for achieving “great power status.”
“The drones raise concerns due to their provision of low-cost, high-efficiency threats: autonomous mission execution, improved accuracy and lethality, suitability for mass production, and enhanced tactical flexibility,” he added.
Lessons from Russia
Pyongyang revealed its first attack drones last year, and experts have cautioned that its new capabilities in this domain may be associated with its developing alliance with Russia.
Analysts further assert that North Korean troops dispatched to support Russia will acquire modern warfare experience – including insights into the utilization of drones on the battlefield.
Additionally, Lim Eul-chul from South Korea’s Kyungnam University remarked that AI could enable North Korean drones to “function even if GPS or communication signals are disrupted, relying on pre-trained algorithms.”
North Korea has conducted GPS jamming attacks on South Korean assets – an operation that impacted several ships and numerous civilian aircraft.
“The advancement of AI technology has accelerated since 2024, leveraging Russian technology transfers and insights from the conflict in Ukraine,” Lim stated.
According to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies, North Korea dispatched more than 10,000 troops to Russia in 2024, mainly to the Kursk area, along with artillery shells, missiles, and long-range rocket systems.
Seoul has reported that approximately 600 North Korean soldiers have lost their lives and thousands more have been injured while fighting for Russia.
