What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of North Korea? Most likely, it is missiles. News that North Korea has launched a missile is no longer extraordinary. 

Ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, short-range projectiles — the names and types vary, but the sheer fact that Pyongyang has tested another weapon no longer shocks South Korean society. Yet, if we trap our understanding of North Korean military threats within the familiar image of the missile, we may fail to grasp North Korea’s transformation properly. North Korean military power is moving in a new direction. 

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Beyond missiles, drones, electronic warfare, cyber warfare, and unmanned systems are emerging as new areas of focus for the North Korean military. And this is not merely a matter of adding a few new weapons. It means the very nature of warfare is changing. 

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From Aug. 17-27, South Korea and the United States will conduct their annual joint exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield. Notably, this year’s exercise incorporates responses to novel forms of attack, including drones, GPS jamming, and cyber assaults, reflecting evolving North Korean threats. U.S. military officials have also pointed out that North Korea is accumulating combat experience through the war in Ukraine, marking another critical shift in the security environment. 

This poses a fundamental question: Is North Korea still preparing for war only in the traditional way? It is highly unlikely. 

The face of modern warfare is changing rapidly. The war in Ukraine is the most dramatic illustration of this shift. While tanks, artillery, fighter jets, and missiles remain crucial, countless small drones are simultaneously being deployed for reconnaissance and attacks. A new paradigm has emerged in which battlefields are reshaped not by a single expensive, high-tech weapon, but by the mass deployment of relatively inexpensive unmanned systems. Pyongyang is watching this transformation closely. 

Last July, U.S. defense analysts noted that North Korea is learning the value of drone warfare from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, increasing its utilization of small battlefield drones and one-way attack drones. Possibilities have also been raised that Russian support could help North Korea produce and advance these weapon systems. 

This is not something to be taken lightly. North........

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