SEOUL – North Korea’s Kim Jong Un oversaw the test of new suicide and reconnaissance drones featuring AI technology, state media said Thursday, adding to concerns over Pyongyang’s deepening military cooperation with Russia.
Pyongyang unveiled its attack drones in August, with experts saying the new capability could be attributable to the country’s budding alliance with traditional ally Russia.
The nuclear-armed country has ratified a landmark defence pact with Moscow and is accused of deploying thousands of troops to Russia to support its war in Ukraine.
Seoul has repeatedly warned about the potential transfer of sensitive Russian military technology to North Korea in return for troops and weapons to support Moscow’s war with Kyiv.
Kim on Thursday oversaw tests of “various kinds of reconnaissance and suicide drones” produced by North Korea’s Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
The new-type strategic reconnaissance drones are capable of “tracking and monitoring different strategic targets and enemy troops’ activities on the ground and the sea”, it added.
The suicide drones also demonstrated the striking capability “to be used for various tactical attack missions”, according to KCNA.
Kim evaluated the improved performance of these drones, which have been equipped with “new artificial intelligence”, KCNA reported.
He also agreed to a plan “for expanding the production capacity”, KCNA added.
Kim said, “the field of unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence should be top-prioritized and developed in modernizing the armed forces.”