North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently supervised a crucial test of an advanced attack drone and issued directives for the significant integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into this burgeoning technology, according to state media reports on Friday, September 19, 2025.
Official images released by the official Korean Central News Agency showcased the unmanned aerial vehicle successfully launching and then precisely neutralizing its designated target.
State media highlighted that this exercise vividly demonstrated the “outstanding combat effectiveness of Kumsong-series tactical attack drones.” Mr. Kim reportedly conveyed “great satisfaction” with the successful outcome of the test.
Kim emphasized that drones are rapidly becoming a “key military asset,” marking their development and increased utilization as a paramount task for modernizing the armed forces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Furthermore, he commanded accelerated efforts in “rapidly advancing the newly-introduced artificial intelligence technology” and concurrently “expanding and strengthening” the nation’s drone manufacturing capabilities.
According to analyst Hong Min of Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification, Kim views advanced drone technology as indispensable for North Korea to achieve “great power status.”
Min elaborated that “these drones are a cause for significant concern due to their potential for low-cost, high-efficiency threats. They offer capabilities such as autonomous mission execution, enhanced accuracy and lethality, suitability for mass production, and increased tactical flexibility in warfare.”
Drawing Insights from Russia’s Military Operations
Pyongyang first revealed its attack drone capabilities last year. Experts are now suggesting that this new development could be closely tied to its emerging military partnership with Russia.
Analysts also believe that North Korean military personnel deployed to assist Russia are gaining invaluable modern warfare experience, particularly in the effective deployment and utilization of drones on the battlefield.
Lim Eul-chul, an expert at South Korea’s Kyungnam University, noted that the incorporation of AI could empower North Korean drones to “function effectively even when GPS or communication signals are jammed, by relying on sophisticated pre-trained algorithms.”
It’s worth remembering that North Korea has previously attempted GPS jamming attacks on South Korean assets, operations that disrupted various ships and numerous civilian aircraft.
Lim concluded, “This concentrated AI development effort has intensified since 2024, likely benefiting from Russian technology transfers and critical lessons learned from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.”
South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have indicated that North Korea dispatched over 10,000 soldiers to Russia in 2024 — primarily to the Kursk region. These deployments reportedly included substantial shipments of artillery shells, missiles, and long-range rocket systems.
Seoul has also reported that approximately 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed, with thousands more wounded, while fighting alongside Russian forces.