North Korea Moves to Modernize Military with AI

The General Staff Department (GSD) of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) ordered the entire military early this month to make plans to build AI-based manned and unmanned combat systems.

According to a Daily NK source in the North Korean military recently, the Combat Training Bureau of the GSD on Aug. 2 issued an official order to the operational departments of services and arms across the KPA through encrypted wireless networks instructing them to “make plans to build AI-based manned and unmanned multipurpose combat systems ahead of the Ninth Party Congress.”

The order appears to be a move to prepare for building new combat systems that integrate AI technology as part of the next five-year strategy ahead of the Ninth Party Congress set for next year.

According to the source, the GSD instructed the headquarters of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Army Special Operations Forces and Strategic Force to draw up detailed plans—in line with their units’ combat missions, organizations and realities—to modernize their forces focused on remote control of manned and unmanned multipurpose combat systems using AI technology and report those plans by the end of September.

The GSD aims to review the plans through October and incorporate chosen aspects into winter training, executing them from Dec. 1 by designating or newly creating trial units in each service and combat arm.

Each service gets specific AI missions

By service, the Army was tasked with adopting AI command systems for infantry, mechanized and artillery forces and crafting a structure that allows unified operations between manned and unmanned forces.

The Navy was told to focus on preparing new multipurpose combat exercises using manned and unmanned systems for harbor operations, EMP response, nuclear counterattacks, minesweeping and submersible operations.

The Air Force was ordered to draw up operational plans for tactical drills using mixed formations of manned and unmanned formations, while the Army Special Operations Forces was told to draw up operational plans for irregular warfare using manned and unmanned systems, including drone assassinations, demolitions, harassment, infiltrations and amphibious terrorism operations.

The Strategic Force was tasked with developing a four-stage “leap” strategy to integrate AI-based unified management systems for storing, operating, and commanding nuclear weapons, as well as launching nuclear counterattacks.

“In the military, they hope to create a structure that can respond much faster to various situations using AI-based manned and unmanned multipurpose combat systems, but working-level commanders in low-tier units and officers responsible for executing the order feel pressure because they have so little time to prepare,” the source said.