North Korea announced a weapons demonstration attended by Kim Jong Un, who called for faster drone and military artificial intelligence development. The display included attack drones, cruise missiles and a multiple rocket launcher. Pyongyang’s accuracy claims remain unverified, while South Korea is analysing missile launches detected the previous day.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a weapons exhibition and military demonstration on Thursday, according to state media announcements on Friday. He urged faster development of unmanned aerial technology and artificial intelligence for military use. The exhibition brought together different unmanned systems.[1], [2]
North Korea’s state news agency listed one-way attack drones and multipurpose drones firing air-to-surface missiles among the systems demonstrated. Cruise missiles and a 600 mm multiple rocket launcher also featured. The agency claimed that drones and cruise missiles struck island targets with complete accuracy. That claimed performance has not been independently verified.[1]
South Korea’s military had reported short-range ballistic missile launches from the Wonsan area on North Korea’s east coast the previous day. South Korea and the United States were analysing their specifications, and the South Korean military increased surveillance for further launches. Whether those firings were connected with the demonstration was not immediately clear. Seoul’s National Security Office described the launches as violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions.[1]
