North Korea says new missile test used AI

North Korea says it has tested an intermediate-range strategic missile that used artificial intelligence, a launch that came days after a mine blast wounded three South Korean soldiers in the Demilitarised Zone.

South Korea’s military said the ballistic missile was fired from the Wonsan area toward the sea off the east coast on Saturday and flew more than 700 kilometres, Dawn and The Express Tribune reported, citing AFP and Reuters.

“No way to avoid this attack”

Hours later, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said the missile was “capable of changing its flight orbit at a low altitude and AI was introduced into it”. She did not explain how AI was used.

“There is no way to avoid this attack,” she said, claiming her brother believed no country could have such technology “for at least several years”.

She said Kim Jong Un oversaw the drill, carried out by “a firepower sub-unit undertaking an exclusive special mission”. She claimed that whenever North Korea used a “wave-like trajectory”, South Korea “failed to track the targets from their first skip points”, without giving evidence.

Kim Jong Un said last month that North Korea must raise “the level of artificial intelligence” in its weapons.

Experts are cautious

Analysts say North Korea may be advancing its missiles quickly with Russian military help, in return for sending troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“AI can assist with target information and launch operations, while the wars in Ukraine and Iran have shown how linking AI with drones and missiles can enhance their operational effectiveness,” said Hong Sung-pyo of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs. But he said it was too early to accept North Korea’s claims. “While missiles that manoeuvre in their terminal phase are difficult to intercept, that does not mean they can strike their targets with perfect accuracy.”

The mine blast

Seoul and the US-led United Nations Command found that a blast inside the DMZ last month, which wounded three South Korean soldiers, was caused by North Korean mines laid on the southern side of the border. Seoul’s military demanded an apology.

North Korea denied responsibility. Kim Yo Jong called South Korea “really despicable”, mocked President Lee Jae Myung’s call for dialogue as “the climax of the farce”, and said Pyongyang was “ready for everything”. The missile launch followed the next morning.

North Korea has been sealing off the border with mines and anti-tank barriers since Kim Jong Un declared South Korea the “principal enemy” in 2024.

A pattern of tests

North Korea has launched missiles on more than 10 occasions this year. South Korea, the US and Japan said they were sharing information closely and maintaining a “robust defence posture”.

“Seoul called for easing tensions, but Pyongyang answered by escalating them,” said Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies.

Why it matters

The use of AI in weapons is spreading fast, and a nuclear-armed North Korea claiming AI-guided missiles adds a dangerous new layer to tensions in East Asia. Read our report on Russia’s nuclear warning to NATO.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn, The Express Tribune, AFP and Reuters.