N Korean leader orders 'mass production' of attack drones

SEOUL

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the "mass production" of attack drones, state media reported on Nov. 15, as concerns mount over the country's deepening military cooperation with Russia.

Pyongyang first unveiled its attack drones in August, with experts saying the capability may be attributable to the country's budding alliance with Russia.

The nuclear-armed country has ratified a landmark defence pact with Moscow and is accused of deploying thousands of troops to Russia to support its war in Ukraine, prompting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to warn about the potential transfer of sensitive Russian military technology to North Korea.

Kim on Nov. 14 oversaw the tests of drones designed to hit both land and sea targets, produced by North Korea's Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

"He underscored the need to build a serial production system as early as possible and go into full-scale mass production," KCNA said.

The unmanned drones are designed to carry explosives and be deliberately crashed into enemy targets, effectively acting as guided missiles.

"The suicide attack drones to be used within different striking ranges are to perform a mission to precisely attack any enemy targets on the ground and in the sea," the agency said.

Experts said the drones -in images released by state media in August- looked similar to the Israeli-made "HAROP" drone, Russian-made "Lancet-3" and Israeli "HERO 30".

North Korea may have acquired these technologies from Russia, which in turn likely obtained them from Iran, with Tehran itself suspected of accessing them through hacking or theft from Israel.