Key Points
- Kim Jong Un personally oversees the launch of an intermediate-range strategic missile.
- South Korea says it detected a missile that flew over 700 kilometres toward the East Sea.
ISLAMABAD: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of an intermediate-range strategic missile that Pyongyang says uses artificial intelligence to change its flight path at low altitude, in efforts to develop weapons capable of challenging existing missile-defence systems.
The launch took place on Saturday as North Korea conducted a firing drill involving what its state media described as a hypersonic strategic weapons system.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the exercise tested the reliability, effectiveness, mobility and proficiency of the missile units operating it.
The missile was fired from the eastern region of North Korea toward the East Sea and hit a designated target about 1,000 kilometres away, it added.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s military said it detected the launch from the Wonsan area and estimated that the missile travelled more than 700 kilometres before falling into waters off the Korean Peninsula.
AI capability
Kim Yo Jong, Kim’s sister and a senior official of the ruling Workers’ Party, said the missile had been enhanced with artificial intelligence technology and could alter its flight trajectory at low altitude.
She said the weapon demonstrated a special flight mode and that its flight pattern exposed what she described as limitations in conventional defence systems to track such missiles.
North Korea’s claim of artificial intelligence usage and the missile’s ability to evade existing tracking and interception systems has not been independently verified.
The reported use of artificial intelligence would mark another step in Pyongyang’s efforts to combine advanced software with its expanding missile arsenal.
AI-enabled guidance could manage flight paths even after the missile is fired. However, the actual capabilities of North Korea’s tested system remain unclear.
Strategic deterrence
KCNA said the exercise was designed to strengthen North Korea’s strategic deterrence and improve its missile forces.
Kim said the country must continue strengthening the reliability and lethality of its strategic offensive weapons and accelerate the development of its nuclear deterrent.
North Korea has long described its nuclear and missile programmes as essential to deterring the United States and its allies.
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Washington, Seoul and Tokyo regard Pyongyang’s weapons development as a major security threat and have strengthened cooperation on missile warning and defence.
The latest launch adds a hypersonic dimension to that competition. Hypersonic weapons are designed to travel at very high speeds. Depending on their configuration, such missiles can manoeuvre during flight, making them potentially more difficult for conventional missile-defence systems to track and intercept.
North Korean state media released photographs showing Kim observing the launch. His daughter, Ju Ae, and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, were also shown accompanying him during the weapons test.
The launch comes as tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea and North Korea have continued to trade accusations over incidents along their heavily fortified border. Seoul has maintained close military cooperation with the United States and Japan.
North Korea has also continued expanding the range of weapons in its strategic arsenal, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and hypersonic systems.
Pyongyang has previously said it is incorporating artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies into weapons development. The latest announcement suggests North Korean authorities are presenting AI as part of the country’s future military capabilities.
For South Korea, Japan, and the United States, a missile’s reported ability to manoeuvre at low altitude could become a challenge to existing early-warning and missile-defence networks if North Korea’s claims are accurate.
