State media said the exercise demonstrated “the superior combat effectiveness of the tactical attack drones of the Kumsong series,” and reported that Kim expressed “great satisfaction” with the results
North Korean leader Kim Jong has overseen the testing of attack drones and ordered the greater use of artificial intelligence (AI) with the technology, state media said Friday.
Images shared by the official Korean Central News Agency showed unmanned vehicles destroying targets after they take off.
State media said the exercise demonstrated “the excellent combat effectiveness of the tactical attack drones of the Kumsong series,” and reported that Kim expressed “great satisfaction” with the results.
The drones “are emerging as a major military activity asset and raise it as the highest critical challenge in modernizing DPRK's military,” Kim said, using the North Korean acronym.
He also ordered “efforts to rapidly develop newly introduced artificial intelligence technologies” and “expansion and enhancement” of drone production capacity.
Hong Min, an analyst at Seoul's Korea Unification Institute, said Kim believes drone technology is important to ensure a “great power position.”
“Drones raise concerns because they provide a low-cost, high-efficiency threat: implementing autonomous missions, increasing accuracy and lethality, suitability for mass production, and improved tactical flexibility,” he added.
Lessons from Russia
Pyongyang announced its first attack drone last year, with experts warning that new capabilities in the field are linked to a budding alliance with Russia.
Analysts also say North Korean troops sent to fight for Russia will gain modern war experiences, including how drones are used on the battlefield.
And Lim Uruchul of Kyongnam University in South Korea said that AI can operate even if North Korean drones are “clogged with GPS or communication signals, or rely on pre-trained algorithms.”
North Korea has tested GPS jamming attacks on South Korea's assets. This is an operation that affected several ships and dozens of civil aircraft.
“AI Drive has gained momentum since 2024 and is taking advantage of lessons from the technology transfer in Russia and the war in Ukraine,” Lim said.
South Korea and Western intelligence agencies say in 2024 North Korea sent over 10,000 soldiers to Russia, primarily to the Kursk region.
Seoul said there was a battle in which around 600 North Korean soldiers were killed and thousands more wounded for Russia.
