North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for rapidly expanding the country's drone technology and observed tests of various weapons, state media reported Friday, as his nation remains embroiled in a standoff with rival South Korea along their heavily fortified border.

The report came a day after South Korea's military said North Korea launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea in what were its first ballistic weapons firings in 17 days.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said that Kim on Thursday visited an exhibition of a variety of attack and other drones that show recent achievements in the field of unmanned aeronautical technology.

In a speech at the exhibition, Kim stressed the need to seize “the absolute superiority in the drone technology” and announced unspecified steps needed to “rapidly expand and strengthen the unmanned aeronautical technology,” KCNA said.

To mark the event, KCNA said that North Korea later conducted test-launches of various drones, missiles and…