North Korea’s Kim Jong Un inspects AI ‘suicide attack drones’

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been pictured inspecting new suicide drones, which state media say have been equipped with artificial intelligence (AI).

The undated images released by the secretive state’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) show Kim flanked by officials on a runway inspecting a drone.

Kim agreed to a plan for expanding production of the equipment, KCNA added.

Analysts have said the development of the technology was likely assisted by Russia, which North Korea has supported recently by sending its soldiers to help with Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

James Patton Rogers, executive director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute and drone expert, agreed the attack drone was evidence of the “fruits” of the increasingly close ties the two have forged in recent years.

North Korea initially revealed the existence of the drones – also known as loitering munitions, which crash into targets with their built in warheads – in August 2024. Back then, KCNA said Pyongyang would work “proactively” towards “introducing artificial intelligence technology” into the weapons.

Mr Patton Rogers said it “should be of concern to South Korea and the international community” that Pyongyang was now developing such capabilities.

“North Korea is hinging very clearly on a drone future for its military,” he told the BBC.

“The issue is whether or not these algorithms are robust enough, secure enough, advanced enough to make decisions that don’t escalate the delicate security situation on the Korean peninsula.”

He said it was likely Russian assistance went into developing the drone.

In addition to the drone, Kim also unveiled what is thought to be the country’s first airborne early-warning aircraft.

More closely resembling a commercial plane, these aircraft use radar to provide an aerial overview of a combat area.

South Korean officials said it would take more time to evaluate the effectiveness of Pyongyang’s airborne early-warning aircraft.

The internal devices and components may have connections to Russia, Joint Chiefs of Staff public affairs director Lee Sung-jun said at a briefing on Thursday.

Kim Jong Un is accused of supplying Russia with weapons, while Vladimir Putin is thought to be giving the North Koreans space technology that could aid their missile programme.

In June last year, Putin and Kim signed an agreement pledging that Russia and North Korea would help each other in the event of “aggression” against either country.

Last month, South Korea’s intelligence agency said North Korea had sent more soldiers to Russia and re-deployed others to the frontline in the western Kursk region where Ukraine launched a lightning incursion.