North Korea Moves to Modernize Military with AI

North Korea’s General Staff Department (GSD) has directed the entire Korean People’s Army (KPA) to draft plans for integrating artificial intelligence into both manned and unmanned combat systems. The directive, issued on August 2 via encrypted communications, comes as part of preparations for the Ninth Party Congress scheduled for next year.

According to a military source cited by Daily NK, the Combat Training Bureau instructed the operational departments across all branches—including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Strategic Force, and Special Operations—to submit detailed modernization plans by the end of September. These plans must align with each unit’s combat roles and focus on AI-driven remote-controlled systems.

The GSD intends to review proposals in October and implement select initiatives during winter training starting December 1, using existing or newly formed trial units.

Branch-Specific AI Initiatives

Army: Develop AI-based command systems for infantry, mechanized, and artillery units, enabling joint manned-unmanned operations.
Navy: Create combat scenarios involving AI systems for harbor defense, EMP response, nuclear retaliation, minesweeping, and underwater missions.
Air Force: Plan tactical drills using mixed manned-unmanned flight formations.
Special Operations Forces: Formulate plans for irregular warfare with drones and autonomous systems, covering assassinations, sabotage, infiltration, and amphibious attacks.
Strategic Force: Design a four-phase roadmap to apply AI in managing nuclear weapons operations, including storage, command, and counterattack capabilities.

While the initiative aims to improve military responsiveness and technological capabilities, the rapid timeline is reportedly causing concern among field-level commanders and officers who feel unprepared for the scale of transformation expected.

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