North Korean Leader Oversees Test of ‘Suicide Drones’ Amid US–South Korea Drill

People at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, watch a television news story showing a photo of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un witnessing the test-firing of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile on March 17, 2023. Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a test of domestically built drones on Saturday, including a new weapon known as “suicide drones,” according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

KCNA reported on Monday that the drones were developed by the North Korean Drone Institute of the Academy of Defense Sciences but did not specify where the test was held.

Various types of drones flew along preset routes before identifying and destroying test targets, KCNA stated, without specifying the number of drones involved.

The agency stated that Kim has called for the production of “more suicide drones of various types” for use in tactical infantry and special operation units, including underwater suicide attack drones.

He also called for the development of reconnaissance and multipurpose attack drones and emphasized introducing artificial intelligence technology.

KCNA also published images from the test, including one showing a white drone with X-shaped tails purportedly hitting and destroying a test target that resembled South Korea’s K-2 tank.

Lee Chang-hyun, spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), said at a press briefing that the country’s military is equipped with systems to detect and intercept North Korean drones.

When asked if the drones used by North Korea were supplied by Russia, given the visual similarities between the drones seen in KCNA’s images and Russia’s Zala Lancet-3 drones, Lee said further analysis is needed.

He noted that South Korea was aware that Russia previously gifted drones to North Korea, but did not elaborate.

“We would need to analyze various aspects, including whether [North Korea] would have modified to improve their capabilities or other possibilities,” Lee told reporters.

US–South Korea Joint Military Drill

The test took place as the United States and South Korea engaged in a joint military drill aimed at enhancing their armies’ “capability and posture to deter and defend against weapons of mass destruction,” the JCS said.

The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, running from Aug. 19 to Aug. 29, includes computer-simulated exercises and field training, including live-fire drills, according to the South Korean military.

JCS said the drills will reflect “realistic threats across all domains,” including North Korea’s missile threats, GPS jamming, cyberattacks, and lessons learned from recent armed conflicts.

North Korea has long denounced joint drills by the United States and South Korea as a rehearsal for invasion, despite both allied nations repeatedly saying that the drills are for defense.

In June, North Korea and Russia signed a “strategic partnership” pact allowing each party to provide military assistance if either is attacked. The United States, South Korea, and Japan have expressed “grave concern.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.