The South Korean government has pledged to closely monitor North Korea’s weapons manufacturing processes after Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the performance tests of kamikaze drones and ordered their mass production.
During a regular press briefing on Friday, Kim In Ae, Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, confirmed that North Korea reported on-site guidance three months after their last update in August. This development is part of North Korea’s drone program, which was designated as a strategic priority during the 8th Party Congress in 2021.
North Korea’s state-run media, Rodong Sinmun, reported that Kim Jong Un emphasized the need to establish a serial production system as soon as possible to begin full-scale mass production of suicide drones. Research institutes and companies under the Unmanned Aerial Technology Consortium are producing these drones.
A South Korean military official confirmed that the country is actively tracking and monitoring North Korea’s drone development activities. Deputy Spokesperson Kim added that the country will carefully observe the newly mentioned Unmanned Aerial Technology Consortium in collaboration with relevant agencies.
She expressed concern about the recent fundraising efforts by the Russian Embassy in North Korea for Russian troops stationed in the Kursk region, which suggests a potential deployment of North Korean forces. She called the escalation of military ties between Russia and North Korea—moving from arms deals to potential combat involvement—a severe provocation. She emphasized that South Korea would utilize all available resources to coordinate a response with the international community.
