The exhibition and Kim’s statements
North Korea organized on Thursday an exhibition dedicated to unmanned aeronautical technology, the state news agency KCNA reports: the event was titled “Unmanned Aeronautical Technology Development-2026” and displayed strategic, operational and multirole tactical drones, along with suicide attack drones. In an associated demonstration, explosive tactical drones, tactical cruise missiles, air-to-surface missiles launched from multirole drones and a battalion of 600-millimeter multiple rocket launchers were used.
According to KCNA, leader Kim Jong-un urged the country’s scientists to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence applied to the military sphere and of technologies for unmanned aircraft. Kim described drone technology as indispensable for gaining an advantage as the character of modern warfare changes and called for rapid expansion of unmanned aerial capabilities. He also directed the defense sector to place unmanned weapons systems on a high-level AI foundation and optimize their operational capabilities, describing this effort as an absolute priority for building modern armed forces.
Unverified claims and the concurrent launch
KCNA claimed that the drones and cruise missiles hit a target on an island with “100 percent” accuracy, a claim that could not be independently verified. The agency also reported that the combat firing of the 600-millimeter multiple rocket launcher, known as “Sniper,” was shown publicly for the first time.
On the same day, South Korea detected the launch of about ten short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea. A military official in Seoul said the weapons should be attributed to the KN-25 super-large multiple rocket launchers, which Pyongyang claimed could be equipped with the Hwasan-31 tactical nuclear warhead. According to the reported account, this would be North Korea’s 17th ballistic test of the year and the first in 17 days, following an October 12 launch.
The family context and the limits of the information
The photographs released by KCNA show Kim accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-ju and his daughter Ju-ae. His presence at the exhibition came one day after South Korea’s National Intelligence Service had assessed that Ju-ae is being prepared as Kim’s designated successor through a “military leader” narrative. According to the agency, military-related events account for almost 60 percent of her public appearances, and North Korea has also reportedly staged scenes suggesting her involvement in nuclear and missile matters.
KCNA did not indicate the location of the exhibition or the demonstration. However, the structures visible in the state media images would suggest that the event was held at Wonsan Kalma Airport, where North Korea last year celebrated the 80th anniversary of its air force. Therefore, both the location of the event and the claimed results on the hits remain to be independently verified, while the link between the exhibition and the missile launch detected by Seoul is coincident in time but not confirmed as coordinated.
