North Korea issues fresh threat as Kim Jong Un calls for 'rapid expansion'
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wants to rapidly expand the country’s drone technology and has observed tests of various weapons, according to state media.
The North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that Kim visited an exhibition of a variety of attack and other drones on October 29 that show recent achievements in the field of unmanned aeronautical technology.
According to Reuters, a demonstration that took place in front of the North Korean leader featured tactical suicide attack drones, tactical cruise missiles, multipurpose drones and 600mm multiple rocket launchers.
Experts say his troops dispatched to Russia to support its war against Ukraine have likely gained valuable expertise on drone warfare from Russian forces and related battlefield experiences.
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Since October 2024, Kim has sent more than 16,000 personnel to Russia to aid Moscow in its war.
Speaking at yesterday's exhibition, Kim said that he wants North Korea to have 'absolute superiority in drone technology' and shared unspecified steps needed to 'rapidly expand and strengthen the unmanned aeronautical technology', KCNA reported (as per NBC News).
The exhibition comes amid ongoing tensions between North and South Korea. Just yesterday it had been reported that the North fired around 10 ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast, according to South Korea's military.
Meanwhile, the border between the two countries remains an ongoing topic of contention. They're both separated by the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which is one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world.
Things become increasingly more strained between North and South Korea regarding its shared border when either party carry out military operations near it, when they accuse one another of spying, when one of the countries plays propaganda broadcasts, or if one carries out balloon campaigns.
Kim's recent drone aspirations come shortly after there were reports that the 42-year-old had died.
To debunk the rumors, state media posted photographs of Kim with his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and daughter, Kim Ju Ae, on October 19 to prove that he was alive and well.
In the photos Kim was seen posing for photos as he visited a clothing and footwear exhibition in Pyongyang. He examined children's footwear that was on show in an 'animated' fashion, per reports. Kim also inspected women's coats.
More recently he was seen on a visit to China where he inaugurated a new bridge that connects the country to North Korea.
Many believe that Kim visited China in a bid align Pyongyang with Beijing and Moscow and create a united front against the US under what he portrays as a 'new Cold War'.
It is his first visit in a year.
Topics: North Korea, Kim Jong-un, World News, Politics, Korea, Technology
Niamh Shackleton