On October 2 (Friday), the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a joint conference with the Korean Association of World Politics of Information at Mugunghwa Hall, Hoam Faculty House of Seoul National University. The conference was titled “The Iran AI War and the State of AI in North Korea: Assessments and Challenges.”
In his congratulatory remarks at the opening ceremony, KANG Myongil, Senior Executive Director of IFANS, stressed that because military affairs and diplomacy have historically been closely intertwined, understanding changes in military technology is essential from a diplomatic perspective as well. He noted that, as artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the military and security environment as well as the international order, it is timely to deepen understanding of how the technology is applied in military contexts. From Korea’s perspective, he added, it is necessary to consider how advanced weapons systems could be incorporated into the country’s military strategy and how they might also be used diplomatically.
At the KNDA panel session 1, experts delivered presentations on and discussed “AI-Enabled Future Warfare in the Iran War and International Politics.” The session was moderated by PARK Young-June, Director-General of the Research Institute for National Security Affairs at Korea National Defense University.
Presenter SONG Taeeun, a professor at KNDA, explained that in the Iran war, AI, cyber and electronic warfare, space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and cognitive warfare have converged, multiplying the destructive power of military technology in firepower-based combat. She assessed that AI is shortening the process from intelligence collection and target identification to decision-making and battle damage assessment. She added that social media and digital platforms, meanwhile, are emerging as key arenas for cognitive warfare over the legitimacy of military operations and international public opinion.
GO Myong-Hyun, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy, analyzed how the Iran war has combined geographic chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, with low-cost precision strikes and ISR to enable effective denial strategies. He added that supply chains for critical minerals and energy could also become new chokepoints. He recommended that Korea build resilience by using its own chokepoints such as semiconductors and industrial production capacity, and by complementing these with those of allies and regional partners including Japan, Australia and Taiwan.
In the discussion that followed, PARK Donghui, a professor at Korea Army Academy at Yeongcheon, observed that cyber warfare plays a central role in modern conflict rather than merely serving a supporting function, and should therefore be actively incorporated into operational planning. KIM Sanbok, an analyst at Korea National Defense University, noted that rapid situational awareness, access to reliable information, and persuasive communication affect the effectiveness of physical force, and emphasized the need to establish an integrated strategic communications system. LEE Seung-young, an advisor to Cybra, presented examples of cognitive warfare strategies used in the Iran war and called for greater awareness of cognitive warfare’s influence in cyberspace.
The conference was significant in that it analyzed AI-enabled military strategies for future warfare observed in the ongoing Iran war and contributed to exploring future military and diplomatic responses.