OMM Newsroom
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stressed the need for his country to achieve “absolute superiority” in drone technology while attending an exhibition and demonstration of unmanned aerial vehicles, state media KCNA reported on Friday, October 29, according to AnewZ.
A weapons demonstration held after the exhibition featured tactical suicide drones, tactical cruise missiles, multipurpose drones and a battalion equipped with 600-mm multiple rocket launchers, KCNA said.
The demonstration reflects Kim Jong Un’s efforts to modernize North Korea’s military through drones and artificial intelligence. Pyongyang is reportedly drawing lessons from the experience of North Korean forces in Russia’s war against Ukraine and from other global conflicts.
Photos released by state media showed unmanned aerial vehicles bearing the emblem of the North Korean Air Force at the exhibition, which Kim Jong Un attended alongside several senior military officials.
Other images showed a drone striking a military vehicle in hilly terrain and causing a large explosion. The incident depicted in the photos was said to be part of the weapons demonstration.
South Korean military officials said on Thursday that North Korea had fired about 10 projectiles toward the sea, including short-range ballistic missiles.
Kim Jong Un makes drones and AI a priority
Kim Jong Un described achieving superiority in drone technology as a “necessary choice” amid the changing nature of modern warfare. He also said that integrating advanced artificial intelligence into unmanned weapons systems should be one of the main priorities in modernizing North Korea’s military.
The North Korean leader has repeatedly called for greater investment in drones and military artificial intelligence. State media said he ordered the mass production of suicide drones in November 2024 and oversaw tests of AI-equipped models in March 2025.
In September 2025, Kim Jong Un identified artificial intelligence as one of the main priorities in modernizing the country’s weapons.
According to South Korean intelligence, North Korea has sent more than 16,000 troops to Russia since October 2024 to support Moscow in its war against Ukraine. The forces have consequently gained combat experience in drone operations, electronic warfare and joint troop operations.
Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University in South Korea, said North Korea was transforming its military capabilities through drones and artificial intelligence, drawing lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The professor added that the extensive weapons demonstration appeared intended to “rule out” the possibility of dialogue and negotiations with South Korea.
