North Korea says it tested AI-guided Zam-2.0 torpedo system

North Korea announced on Saturday, October 17, 2026, that it had successfully tested a new torpedo system that it says relies on artificial intelligence to detect and guide itself toward targets. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the test took place on Thursday, October 15, and the weapon is called Zam-2.0.

KCNA described Zam-2.0 as a "super-speed, precisely guided" torpedo system but offered no explanation of what its artificial intelligence actually does. The agency said the test also confirmed the weapon's propulsion systems, which it claims were refined over more than 180 trials across the past five years.

South Korea's military, which frequently accuses Pyongyang of overstating its weapons technology, did not comment immediately on the report. None of the North's claims about the system have been independently verified.

A naval push

The torpedo announcement follows a burst of weapons activity. On Wednesday, October 14, North Korea carried out its first underwater-launched missile tests in nearly three years. Experts believe those launches likely involved a submarine not yet in service that Pyongyang says is built to carry nuclear weapons. Analysts see the tests as evidence that Kim Jong Un is turning his attention to naval forces after years focused on ballistic missiles.

The country also tested hypersonic missile systems of varying ranges on September 20 and October 3, part of an effort to build weapons capable of overwhelming missile defenses in South Korea and Japan. Kim Yo Jong, the leader's influential sister, claimed the missiles launched on October 3 also incorporated artificial intelligence.

Skepticism over the AI label

Some experts say North Korea is probably improving its guidance software, yet they doubt its weapons possess genuinely advanced digital features such as autonomous target designation. The repeated invocation of AI appears increasingly central to how Pyongyang presents its military progress.

The tests come amid frozen relations on the Korean Peninsula. In recent years Kim has suspended all diplomacy and cooperation with Seoul, labeling South Korea a permanent enemy, while nuclear talks with Washington have remained deadlocked for years.