North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of a missile alongside his daughter, state media reported on Sunday, with Pyongyang claiming the weapon used artificial intelligence to adjust its trajectory.
The AI technology means the missile is ‘capable of changing its flight orbit at a low altitude’, Kim’s sister said, adding that there was ‘no way to avoid’ the attack.
The missile was launched from an area near the eastern coastal city of Wonsan early Saturday and travelled more than 700km, South Korea’s military said, without providing further details.
Kim praises strategic missile forces
‘Through today’s launching drill, the strategic missile soldiers have fully demonstrated their professional qualifications and counterattack posture,’ Kim said after overseeing the launch, according to an English-language report by the official Korean Central News Agency.
‘We must continue our responsible efforts nonstop to constantly and repeatedly make the enemy recognise the reliability and fatality of our strategic offensive means,’ he said.
KCNA released photographs showing a missile rising into the sky in a burst of orange flame.
Another image showed Kim smiling beside his daughter Ju Ae and wife Ri Sol Ju, who was seen clapping in celebration.
The launch was conducted as part of training for soldiers operating the ‘hypersonic strategic weapon system’, KCNA reported.
Ju Ae’s growing public role
Ju Ae, who was first introduced to the public in 2022, has taken on an increasingly prominent role at major state and military events.
South Korea’s spy agency has said she is the most likely successor to her father, citing her growing public appearances.
The latest launch came days after South Korea’s military demanded an apology from Pyongyang over an explosion that wounded three South Korean soldiers in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).
Seoul blamed North Korea for the blast, but Pyongyang has denied responsibility for last month’s explosion.
North Korea also called South Korea ‘despicable’ on Friday, as Seoul’s civilian leadership continued efforts to restore dialogue between the two sides.
