North Korea conducted an underwater test of a new precision-guided torpedo equipped with artificial intelligence, according to state media.

What it means

North Korea's state media announced that the country has conducted an underwater test of a new 'precision-guided' torpedo, which it claims is equipped with artificial intelligence for target detection and guidance. The weapon, reportedly called the 'Zam-20' in some reports, is presented as a high-speed, AI-assisted system, though no independent verification of its capabilities has been provided.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The claim originates from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), and is reported verbatim by Yonhap and other major wire services. As a primary source statement from the regime, it is authoritative in reporting what Pyongyang says, but the actual performance and AI capabilities of the weapon cannot be independently confirmed.

How new

This story broke on 16-17 October 2026, based on official statements from North Korea, and is genuinely new—no earlier recirculation year is given.

Go deeper

• Yonhap News — first to publish