North Korea fires 'unidentified ballistic missile' eastward, says South Korea
Sep 17, 2024
Seoul [South Korea], September 18 : North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile eastward on Wednesday, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing South Korea's military.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch. However, it did not give further details and said that the analysis is being conducted.
Earlier on September 12, North Korea test-fired a new 600mm multiple rocket launcher, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing its state media.
In August, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for the development and production of more "suicide drones" to enhance war preparedness, amid tensions brewing in the Korean peninsula.
On August 24, Kim Jong-un had overseen a performance test of various drones, Yonhap News Agency reported. It cited a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) about the North Korean Supreme Leader supervising test organised by the Drone Institute of the Academy of Defence Sciences.
During the testing, the drones flown along preset courses destroyed designated targets. The drones have the ability to attack enemy targets on the ground in air and in the sea.
Kim called it necessary to develop and produce more suicide drones "to be used in tactical infantry and special operation units, as well as strategic reconnaissance and multi-purpose attack drones," Yonhap News Agency reported, citing KCNA.
The North Korean leader also raised the need for proactively introducing artificial intelligence technology into the development of drones. Yonhap published photos carried by the KCNA showing two white suicide attack drones hitting and destroying mock targets of what look like K-2 tanks stating that North Korea has unveiled photos of such weapons for the first time.
