North Korean Cooperation with Russia Yields New Military Technology

Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin have allegedly collaborated closely on Russia’s war against Ukraine. (Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

North Korean state media unveiled the North Korean military’s new arsenal of suicide attack drones they claim are powered by AI on March 27. Experts are sounding the alarm that the technology may have come from Moscow to reward Pyongyang’s deployment of North Korean soldiers to aid in the war against Ukraine.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea’s state media, revealed the state’s new weapons with the release of an undated photo of leader Kim Jong Un inspecting one of the drones, adding in a statement that Kim had ordered the drones’ production to increase. KCNA reported that Kim was committed to “keeping with the trend of modern warfare in which the competition for using intelligent drones as a major means of military power is being accelerated and the range of their use is steadily expanding in military activities.”

Some experts are skeptical of the country’s claims. Most suicide attack drones are small and agile so they may fly undetected and be produced in high quantities. There is no evidence that North Korea has mastered technology of this caliber. Its claims that the drones are equipped with AI capable of detecting air defense systems are also unverified. Nevertheless, if true, these developments are an alarming sign of advanced weapons cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

The drones’ unveiling comes months after reports surfaced in late 2024 of Ukrainian soldiers first confronting North Korean troops fighting for Russia in combat. According to U.S. estimates, Pyongyang has deployed over 12,000 soldiers to aid the Russian war effort. South Korean intelligence claims North Korea is also providing Russia with missiles, artillery, and ammunition. North Korean defector Pak Yusung, a researcher at the North Korea Institute, warned in early March that Russian President Vladimir Putin would send Kim critical technology in return for military aid. The alleged capabilities of these suicide-attack drones may be evidence of such gifts from Moscow to Pyongyang.

“The internal systems and components likely have ties to Russia, while the aircraft appears to be a modified version of one already possessed by North Korea,” said South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Colonel Lee Sung-jun.

Regardless of whether the technology comes from Moscow, its participation in the Russo-Ukrainian War is certainly helping North Korea evaluate and improve its military in real time. “North Korea is completely transforming itself by upgrading its weapons systems for modern warfare based on its experiences in the war in Ukraine, and by copying military technologies from countries like China and Russia,” stated Yoo Yong-won, who sits on the South Korean National Defense Committee.

It is clear that the war in Ukraine has only strengthened ties between Russia and North Korea as the two authoritarian pariah states find themselves increasingly isolated from the international community. South Korea, Ukraine, and the United States will continue to monitor Putin and Kim’s cooperation closely going forward. Suicide attack drones may only be the beginning.