Kim Jong Un Oversees DPRK Drone Tests

By Staff, Agencies

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's [DPRK] Leader, Kim Jong Un, has supervised performance tests of unmanned weapons and equipment, the state-run Korean Central News Agency [KCNA] reported Friday. 

KCNA said Kim visited the Unmanned Aeronautical Technology Complex on Thursday to guide tests of systems being developed by its institutes and enterprises. 

According to the report, Kim reviewed the features and combat applicability of various unmanned weapons, including strategic and tactical reconnaissance drones and multipurpose aircraft. 

He reportedly expressed “great satisfaction” with the results. 

KCNA added that Kim emphasized the importance of integrating artificial intelligence into unmanned weapons systems, calling it a priority for modernizing the DPRK’s armed forces. 

Earlier this month, Kim supervised the final test of a solid-fuel ICBM engine, signaling a potential full missile launch in the coming months.

Images released by Korean Central News Agency [KCNA] showed Kim watching the fiery blast of the final ground test of a high-thrust solid-fuel engine using composite carbon fiber.

Kim praised the achievement as a milestone, saying the new engine “heralds a significant change” in strengthening DPRK’s nuclear forces. This followed last week’s unveiling of the Hwasong-20, their next-generation intercontinental missile.

Kim’s test came after his high-profile Beijing visit, where he joined Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military parade marking Japan’s WWII surrender—highlighting the growing ties between Beijing, Moscow, and Pyongyang amid rising global tensions.

Solid-fuel missiles have long been a goal for the DPRK, given their ease of transport, concealment, and rapid launch compared with liquid-fuel rockets.

Pyongyang’s use of lightweight carbon-fiber aims to improve range and durability, says Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.