North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently supervised a test involving an attack drone, emphasizing the need for greater integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in military technology, according to state media reports. The official Korean Central News Agency shared images depicting the unmanned vehicle successfully taking off and striking a target, highlighting the event as a demonstration of the “excellent combat effectiveness” of the Kumsong-series tactical attack drones. Kim reportedly expressed “great satisfaction” with the outcome of the exercise.
In his assessment, Kim classified drones as a significant military asset, elevating their strategic importance in the modernization of North Korea’s armed forces. He underscored the necessity for rapid advancements in newly-introduced AI technologies, alongside efforts to enhance drone production capabilities.
Analysts have noted that Kim views the development of drone technology as a crucial element in fortifying North Korea’s status as a global power. Hong Min from Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification pointed out that drones pose new security challenges due to their low-cost, high-efficiency characteristics—allowing for autonomous mission execution, increased accuracy and lethality, ease of mass production, and improved tactical flexibility.
North Korea’s initiative in drone technology may also be influenced by its growing relationship with Russia. The country revealed its first attack drones last year, and experts are concerned that this new capability is intertwined with the military ties between the two nations. Observers believe that North Korean troops who have been deployed to aid Russia are gaining valuable insights and experiences in modern warfare, particularly in drone operations.
Further complicating the landscape, Lim Eul-chul from Kyungnam University stated that advancements in AI might empower North Korean drones to function even under adverse conditions, such as GPS or communication signal jamming, leveraging pre-trained algorithms to navigate independently. This potential threat has been underscored by North Korea’s past attempts at GPS jamming against South Korean assets, which significantly impacted both military ships and civilian aircraft.
The momentum behind AI development within North Korean military strategy has reportedly surged since 2024, bolstered by technology exchanges with Russia and the tactical lessons extracted from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Additionally, South Korean and Western intelligence sources have indicated that over 10,000 North Korean soldiers were deployed to assist Russia, particularly in the Kursk region. Casualty figures highlight the cost of this involvement, with approximately 600 North Korean soldiers reported killed and thousands more wounded in combat scenarios.
