Pyongyang tests kamikaze drones

Photo: Suicide drones tested at undisclosed location in North Korea

North Korea has tested suicide drones, and leader Kim Jong-un has called for their mass production to be accelerated, state media reported on Friday, November 15.

Pyongyang's latest show of military force came amid joint exercises by the United States, South Korea and Japan in neighboring international waters involving advanced fighter jets and a US aircraft carrier, Agence France-Presse reported.

North Korea's official KCNA news agency published photos of Kim Jong-un speaking to officials next to at least two different types of drones. Among them were drones with X-shaped tails and wings, similar in appearance to the drones Pyongyang revealed in August when Kim demonstrated drones that explode on impact with a target.

KCNA said the drones flew different routes and hit their targets accurately. The agency published photos of a car, believed to be a BMW, hit by a drone, and older tanks that were blown up.

Kim Jong-un expressed satisfaction with the weapons development process and stressed the need to “quickly build a system for serial production and move to full-scale mass production” of drones, noting that drones are becoming critical in modern warfare.

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KCNA reported that the North Korean leader said drones are cheap to produce and can be used for various types of military activities. The agency did not specify whether Kim was specifically referring to rival South Korea, which the North Korean drones are apparently designed to counter.

Tensions in the region are rising as Kim Jong-un shows off his nuclear missile program, which includes multiple nuclear weapons aimed at South Korea and intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.

Pyongyang is also believed to be sending military equipment and troops to Russia to support President Putin's aggression in Ukraine. Seoul fears that in return it will receive Russian technology to further develop its arsenal.

South Korean officials said North Korea will be a key topic of a trilateral meeting between South Korean President Yun Suk-yol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru this week.

According to the U.S. State Department, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on the sidelines of the APEC summit on Thursday, November 14. They discussed “strong concerns” over the strengthening of relations between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga