Kim oversees DPRK's new 'suicide drones'
2 Min Read
State media say all drones tested on August 24 "correctly identified and destroyed the designated targets after flying along different preset routes."
-
This photo taken on August 24, 2024, and released by the DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on August 26 shows a target exploding during a performance test of a drone organized by the Drone Institute of the Academy of Defence Sciences at an undisclosed location in the DPRK. (KCNA via KNS/AFP)
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has introduced a new "suicide drone", state media reported on Monday, with leader Kim Jong Un personally overseeing a performance test of the weaponry.
Kim was depicted in images broadcast by state media smiling as he observed the demonstration, using high-powered binoculars to watch the drones strike their targets.
He emphasized that "it is necessary to develop and produce more suicide drones," alongside efforts to enhance "strategic reconnaissance and multi-purpose attack drones," according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The DPRK's expanding drone arsenal will "be used within different striking ranges to attack any enemy targets on the ground and in the sea," the news agency highlighted.
It pointed out that all drones tested on August 24 "correctly identified and destroyed the designated targets after flying along different preset routes."
Kim also highlighted his country’s ambition to actively incorporate artificial intelligence technology into drone development.
The suicide drone in the images released by state media "can fly over 1000 km (600 miles)," indicated Cho Sang-keun, a professor at South Korea's Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
This capability represents a serious threat to South Korea’s national security and key infrastructure, Cho said.
"Should there be a provocation or an international conflict, the South Korean army would inevitably sustain significant damage from these suicide drones," said Cho.
In late 2022, Seoul's military said that a drone launched by Pyongyang briefly breached the no-fly zone surrounding South Korea's presidential office, sparking criticism of the nation's air defense capabilities.
The drone was one of five DPRK drones that crossed into South Korea on December 26, triggering a response from the South's military, which deployed fighter jets and helicopters.
Back then, the military faced criticism for its failure to intercept the drones, which remained in South Korean airspace for several hours.
In response, South Korea established a drone operations command in 2023 to counter the rising threat.
Read more: 'Rehearsals for invasion: DPRK on latest S. Korea, US joint drills
