North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged his country to achieve “absolute superiority” in drone technology while attending an exhibition and demonstration of unmanned aerial systems, state media KCNA reported on Friday, 29 October.
The weapons demonstration that followed the exhibition featured tactical suicide attack drones, tactical cruise missiles, multipurpose drones and a battalion of 600mm multiple rocket launchers, according to KCNA.
The display reflects Kim's efforts to modernise North Korea's military through drones and artificial intelligence, as Pyongyang draws lessons from its forces' experience in Russia's war against Ukraine and other global conflicts.
Photographs from state media showed unmanned aerial vehicles carrying the North Korean Air Force's emblem at the exhibition, which Kim attended alongside several senior military officials.
Other images appeared to show a drone striking a military vehicle on a hillside, triggering a large explosion. The incident portrayed in the photos were said to be part of the weapons demonstration.
South Korea's military reported on Thursday that North Korea had launched around 10 projectiles, including short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea.
Kim described achieving superiority in drone technology as “an indispensable option” in response to the evolving nature of modern warfare.
He also stressed that integrating advanced AI into unmanned weapons systems should be a top priority in North Korea's military modernisation efforts.
Kim has repeatedly called for greater investment in drones and military AI. State media reported that he ordered the mass production of suicide attack drones in November 2024 and supervised tests of AI-equipped versions in March 2025.
In September 2025, he identified AI as a key priority for modernising the country's weapons.
According to South Korean intelligence, North Korea has deployed more than 16,000 personnel to Russia since October 2024 to support Moscow's war against Ukraine, gaining battlefield experience in drone operations, electronic warfare and combined-arms combat.
Lim Eul-chul, a professor at South Korea's Kyungnam University, said North Korea is transforming its military capabilities through drones and AI, drawing lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
He added that the extensive weapons display appeared intended to “shut off the possibility of dialogue or negotiations” with South Korea.
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