North Korean agricultural researcher examines a Chinese DJI Phantom 4 drone. Yonhap News

A Chinese drone manufacturing company is promoting the export of its drone equipment to North Korea, seemingly disregarding United Nations Security Council sanctions, according to a report by NK News, a U.S.-based outlet specializing in North Korea, on January 12 (local time).

A video posted on the Chinese social media platform Douyin shows Jiangsu Lingtai Automation Equipment Company, located in Jiangsu Province, promoting the speed and efficiency of its drone production process, featuring a U-shaped conveyor belt.

The company explains that the assembly equipment shown in the video is undergoing final testing before being shipped to North Korea, emphasizing that it can produce up to 100 drones per day.

The UN, in Security Council Resolution 2397 adopted in 2017, prohibits the export of all machinery to North Korea by member states.

NK News points out that machinery typically includes most industrial assembly equipment.

As of 2024, China is the world's largest drone producer, dominating approximately 80% of the global commercial drone market. North Korea has been covertly importing inexpensive Chinese drones, utilizing them for both civilian and military purposes.

A report from the UN Security Council's Sanctions Committee on North Korea in 2021 confirmed that drones featured in a North Korean military parade in 2020 were identified as the "Mavic 2 Pro type" from China's SZ DJI Technology.

Recently, following the war in Ukraine, North Korea has recognized drones as a crucial element of modern warfare and is actively seeking to acquire drone technology from Russia and Iran.

In August, Andriy Yermak, then Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, stated, "We know that Russia is transferring its Iranian Shahed-136 suicide drone technology to Pyongyang and establishing production lines, engaging in missile development exchanges."

Shin Seung-ki, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, told NK News that the introduction of drone assembly equipment into North Korea could fundamentally transform the country's drone manufacturing capabilities.

He pointed out, "There is a high probability that North Korea will reverse-engineer and replicate the drone production lines, thereby securing multiple additional production lines."