Kim attends North Korean drone exhibition and calls for boosting technology

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a drone-only exhibition, apparently the first of its kind in the North, and called for rapidly expanding the country’s drone technology, state media reported Friday, as his military escalates threats against South Korea and the US.Acquiring advanced drones is a top priority for Kim, who now wants to beef up both conventional and nuclear capabilities.Experts say his troops sent to Russia to support its war against Ukraine likely gained valuable expertise on drone warfare from Russian forces and their own battlefield experiences.The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim on Thursday visited an exhibition of attack and other drones that show recent achievements in the field of uncrewed aeronautical technology.In a speech at the exhibition, Kim stressed the need to seize “the absolute superiority in the drone technology” and announced unspecified steps needed to “rapidly expand and strengthen the unmanned aeronautical technology,” KCNA said.South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it appeared to be North Korea’s first exhibition exclusively dedicated to drone technology.

South Korean media reported the exhibition displayed more than 30 kinds of drones including stealth drones and first-person-view attack drones.To mark the event, KCNA said North Korea conducted test-launches of various drones, missiles and weapons from the 600 mm-caliber ultraprecision multiple rocket launchers.KCNA photos showed Kim watching soaring weapons or him clenching his fist while his teenage daughter was clapping her hands beside him.

South Korea’s spy agency assesses that the girl, reportedly about 13, is likely Kim’s heir.South Korea’s military earlier said it detected the launches of about 10 short-range ballistic missiles off the North’s east coast on Thursday.They were North Korea’s first ballistic weapons firings in 17 days.Tensions between the two Koreas are running high since last month’s land�...