North Korea tests new missile and artillery systems as South expands drone force
North Korea conducted a round of weapons tests including a special-mission ballistic missile warhead, an upgraded 240mm multiple rocket launcher with extended range, and a 155mm self-propelled howitzer, state media reported . Leader Kim Jong Un called for a “deadly and destructive offensive posture,” and KCNA said the warhead is intended to target airfields, ports, and power facilities. Analysts say the upgraded systems extend Pyongyang’s reach across the whole of South Korea.
In response, Seoul announced plans to train 500,000 “drone warriors” able to operate drones as readily as personal firearms, with Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back citing Russian technological assistance to the North as a driver. President Lee outlined a roughly $650 million defense-development push through 2030.
The exchange points to a faster conventional arms race on the peninsula, with Russia’s wartime cooperation accelerating North Korean capabilities and pushing the South toward cheaper, scalable drone forces rather than matching missile for missile.