SEOUL, OCT 4 (AFP): North Korea said it tested an intermediate-range strategic missile on Saturday using artificial intelligence (AI), hours after South Korea said Pyongyang had launched a ballistic missile.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, and flew more than 700 kilometres.
Hours later, Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, described it as an “intermediate-range strategic missile” capable of changing its flight orbit at low altitude, claiming AI had been incorporated into the system.
Kim Yo Jong said the technology meant there was “no way to avoid” the missile’s attack and claimed Kim Jong Un believed no country could access such technology for several years. She did not provide details on how AI was used.
The test came days after Seoul demanded an apology from Pyongyang over a blast that wounded three South Korean soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). North Korea has denied responsibility for the explosion.
South Korea, the US and Japan maintained a “robust defence posture” through information sharing following the launch, Seoul’s military said.
Kim Yo Jong also claimed North Korea’s wave-like trajectory had previously prevented South Korea from tracking targets from their first skip points.
Analysts said North Korea could be advancing missile technology with Russian military support. However, Hong Sung-pyo, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, said it was too early to determine whether Pyongyang’s claims were accurate.
He said AI is increasingly used in military technology and could support target information and launch operations, while noting that manoeuvrable missiles remain difficult to intercept but do not necessarily guarantee perfect accuracy with such systems.
