By Ju-min Park
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gestures during a military parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this pictured released October 11, 2025 by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab
SEOUL, Nov 30 (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un highlighted the Air Force’s role in exercising nuclear war deterrence as he celebrated the Air Force’s 80th anniversary along with his young daughter, state media reported on Sunday.
Photos released by North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed Kim observing what appeared to be unmanned aircraft and mobile missile launchers among others.
North Korea has launched mass production of small, short-range First Person View (FPV) drones, as well as larger medium-range battlefield attack drones, a Ukrainian intelligence official told Reuters earlier.
Dressed in long leather coats, Kim and his daughter watched an air show to mark the anniversary and toured a display of aircraft such as an airborne early-warning aircraft that North Korea unveiled earlier this year, state media photographs showed.
The country’s expectations for the Air Force which, “will play a role in the exercise of the nuclear war deterrent” are truly “great”, state media KCNA cited Kim as saying.
“The Air Force should resolutely repulse and control all sorts of espionage acts and possible military provocations of the enemies,” Kim said, according to KCNA.
Kim added the Air Force would be given new strategic assets, without elaborating.
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