North Korea claims AI-assisted missile launch as Seoul disputes threat

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a missile launch that state media described as involving artificial intelligence capable of adjusting the weapon’s trajectory, while South Korea said the projectile could have been intercepted. The missile was launched early on Saturday near the eastern coastal city of Wonsan and travelled more than 700 kilometres, according to South Korea’s military. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the exercise was intended to train soldiers operating a hypersonic strategic weapon system.

Kim said the drill demonstrated the professional qualifications and counterattack posture of the country’s strategic missile forces. He called for continued efforts to make an unnamed enemy recognise what he described as the reliability and destructive capability of North Korea’s strategic weapons. Kim’s sister had said the artificial-intelligence technology allowed the missile to change its flight orbit at low altitude, claiming there would be “no way to avoid” an attack.

South Korea’s defence ministry rejected that assessment, saying the missile was within the detection and interception capabilities of the defensive assets operated jointly by Seoul and Washington. South Korea urged North Korea to stop actions that heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula and said the launch violated United Nations Security Council resolutions. The source material does not identify the specific missile model or provide an independent confirmation of the claimed AI guidance system.

KCNA disclosed the precise coordinates where the missile hit its target. Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification told AFP that the coordinates, given to decimal points, represented precision of about 30 centimetres and suggested confidence by Pyongyang. Images released by North Korea showed Kim with his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and daughter, Ju Ae, during the launch.

KCNA said the exercise involved a strategic hypersonic weapon system. The accounts from Pyongyang and Seoul therefore present contrasting assessments: North Korea emphasised the missile’s capabilities, while South Korea said existing allied defences could detect and intercept it.