Case Study on the Trends of North Korean Strategic UAV ‘Satbyol’

• Published in: International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology(IJACT) Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 317 - 321
• Main Authors: 서강일, 김종훈, 원만희, 이동민, 배재형, 박상혁
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 국제문화기술진흥원 31.12.2023
• Subjects: 과학기술학; Reconnaissance; Development; Precision; Satbyol; Strategic; North Korea
• ISSN: 2288-7202; 2288-7318
• DOI: 10.17703/IJACT.2023.11.4.317

After ‘emphasizing the development of the precision reconnaissance drone’ in 2021, North Korea unveiled two strategic drones in July 2023, just two years later. Despite the majority of experts offering negative assessments and stating that “the performance may not be good,” North Korea can be seen as having not only enhanced its routine surveillance capabilities through strategic drones but also possessing limited long-range strike capabilities. In other words, although the performance of North Korea's strategic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), namely the 'Satbyol-4' and '9' models, may not match that of U.S. drones, they appear to play a significant role in offsetting North Korea's considerable aerial and surveillance inferiority compared to the joint forces of South Korea and the United States. Based on these trends, North Korea seems to be concentrating on drone development to counterbalance its considerable aerial power and surveillance capabilities deficit compared to the joint forces of South Korea and the United States, especially as the global use of drones continues to increase.