North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Oversees Launch Of AI-Powered Missile

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of a missile alongside his daughter Ju Ae, with state media claiming the weapon was equipped with artificial intelligence technology capable of adjusting its flight trajectory.

The AI system reportedly allows the missile to “change its flight orbit at a low altitude,” Kim’s powerful sister Kim Yo Jong had previously said, claiming the technology would make the weapon difficult to intercept.

The missile was launched from an area near the eastern coastal city of Wonsan early Saturday and travelled more than 700 kilometres (435 miles), South Korea’s military said.

According to an English-language report by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim said the launch demonstrated the strategic missile forces’ “professional qualifications and counterattack posture.”

“We must continue our responsible efforts nonstop to constantly and repeatedly make the enemy recognize the reliability and fatality of our strategic offensive means,” Kim said.

KCNA photographs showed the missile rising into the sky with a burst of orange flame. Another image showed Kim smiling alongside his daughter Ju Ae and wife Ri Sol Ju, who was seen applauding.

Ju Ae, who was first publicly introduced in 2022, has increasingly appeared alongside her father at major state and military events. South Korea’s spy agency has identified her as the most likely successor to Kim.

The launch was conducted as part of training for soldiers operating North Korea’s “hypersonic strategic weapon system,” KCNA reported.

The missile test came days after South Korea’s military demanded an apology from Pyongyang over an explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul blamed North Korea for the incident.

Pyongyang has denied responsibility for last month’s blast. On Friday, North Korea also described South Korea as “despicable,” casting further doubt on Seoul’s efforts to reopen dialogue with Pyongyang.