Kim Calls for Faster Drone and AI Development in North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for faster development of drones and military artificial intelligence at an exhibition and weapons demonstration on October 29, where state media said unmanned aircraft, missiles and a large rocket launcher were tested or displayed. Kim urged North Korea to seek superiority in drone technology and make defense AI a priority in unmanned weapons, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The exhibition, titled Unmanned Aeronautical Technology Development 2026, featured aircraft intended for strategic, operational and tactical use, including suicide attack drones, KCNA reported. The associated demonstration included suicide drones, cruise missiles, multipurpose drones and a battalion of 600mm multiple rocket launchers. KCNA said the launcher, called Sniper, was demonstrated publicly for the first time. The agency did not provide production figures or a deployment timetable. KCNA claimed drones and missiles struck an island target with 100 percent accuracy. That assertion has not been independently verified. North Korean media images also showed drones striking mock military targets, including vehicles and positions resembling...