North Korea says it has tested AI-guided missiles for the first time
The country continue to amp up its military capacities after declaring South Korea its “most hostile enemy”
North Korea has tested missiles led by artificial intelligence for the first time, state media says.
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Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader, oversaw the launches and said he was satisfied with the outcome.
The tests comprised multiple weapons systems, including a nuclear-capable cruise missile that Kim has threatened to deploy near the South Korea border as he attempts to expand his military capacity.
Ballistic missiles with a "special mission warhead" made for battlefield nuclear use were also tested, alongside a 240mm rocket artillery designed with "ultra-precision" navigation systems, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
It claimed that the tests showed how North Korea had upgraded its systems to "suit the proper conditions of modern warfare so as to enhance their application to combat".
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Kim has reportedly called for further modernisation of its military capacities so that “no one can match” its strength.
This comes a day after South Korea’s military claimed it detected North Korea launching multiple projectiles, including at least one close-range ballistic missile, towards the country’s western shores.
The missile flew about 50 miles (80km), according to officials, who did not specify any other weapons involved in the incident.
Since Donald Trump’s diplomatic overtures towards North Korea collapsed in 2019, the country has rapidly doubled down on improving its nuclear and missile capabilities.
Kim has adopted an increasingly cutthroat approach towards South Korea, which he announced was the country’s “most hostile enemy” in February, and worked to cut the ties between the countries.
The country’s leader threatened that he could “completely destroy” South Korea earlier this year, and warned that the "complete collapse" of the country "cannot be ruled out".
Kim reportedly discussed strengthening North Korea’s frontline units in an attempt to make the border “an impregnable fortress" in a meeting with military commanders last week.
Last month, Kim attended the launch of two strategic cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from Pyongyang’s new 5,000-tonne class destroyer, the Choe Hyon.