South Korean Army Unit Nearly Shot Down Friendly Military Drone During Flight Test, Lawmaker Says
Key Takeaways
- •A South Korean front-line Army unit nearly opened fire on a friendly military drone operated by the Army Test and Evaluation Group during a scheduled flight test on Monday.
- •The Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed receiving advance notice of the test but said the drone exceeded its declared altitude, prompting units to follow standard operational procedures.
- •The JCS disputed Rep. Sung's claim that a Durumi air defense alert was issued, maintaining that no such alert was activated.
- •The 1st Corps commander was previously relieved of duty following a separate incident in which the unit mistook a U.S. spy drone for a hostile threat.
- •Opposition lawmaker Rep. Sung Il-jong described the episode as a major operational failure and called on Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back to resign.
A front-line South Korean Army unit came close to shooting down one of the country's own military drones during a flight test on Monday, according to Rep. Sung Il-jong of the main opposition People Power Party, who disclosed the incident at a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday.
The 1st Army Corps, stationed along the western front bordering North Korea, reportedly issued an air defense alert and prepared to shoot down the drone as it passed through airspace under the unit's jurisdiction. The drone belonged to the Army Test and Evaluation Group, which was conducting a flight test. According to Rep. Sung, the test group had notified the 1st Corps of the planned trial in advance.
The incident follows a separate mishap involving the same unit, in which the 1st Corps mistook a U.S. spy drone for a potential enemy threat due to a communication mix-up and mobilized artillery in an attempt to shoot it down. The commander of the 1st Corps has since been relieved of duty pending a disciplinary review related to the U.S. drone incident and other matters.
The back-to-back episodes come as South Korea has been working to strengthen its air defense posture against drone threats, including after North Korean drones penetrated South Korean airspace near Seoul in late 2022, exposing gaps in detection and interception capabilities.
Rep. Sung characterized the latest episode as yet another "major blunder" at the Army Corps and called on Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back to resign, holding him responsible for what he described as severe lapses in military discipline.
"If (the Army) failed to even distinguish between an enemy drone and a friendly drone, it means a total breakdown of our military's operational system," Sung said.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) responded by acknowledging that the military was aware of the flight test plan and had received prior notice from the evaluation group. However, the JCS stated that the drone flew at a higher altitude on Monday afternoon than the level declared in its advance notification, which prompted the military to carry out routine operational procedures in accordance with established protocol.
The JCS also pushed back against Rep. Sung's claim regarding the activation of the Durumi air defense alert, asserting that no such alert was ever issued.
"We express concerns that exposing the standard operational procedures of front-line units may affect our military readiness and the morale of our troops," the JCS said in a message sent to reporters.
