You are connecting from Lake Geneva Public Library, please login or register to take advantage of your institution's Ground News Plan.
Published 10 days ago • loading... • Updated 9 days ago
South Korea Reviews Near-Shootdown of US Military Drone Near Border
South Korean troops mistook the drone for a threat and activated anti-air defenses before identifying it as part of a U.S.-South Korea exercise.
South Korean military ordered residents near the border to evacuate on Thursday after detecting an unidentified aircraft, later confirmed as a Marine Corps drone from The United States participating in a joint training exercise.
The aircraft was spotted near the Civilian Control Line in Gyeonggi Province, prompting the South Korean Army 1st Corps to activate its Durumi anti-air defense alert system and mobilize anti-aircraft artillery.
Communication gaps have emerged, as The USFK reportedly provided prior notice of the drill, yet the South Korean military claims it never granted formal approval required for the operation at Story Firing Range.
The JCS plans to visit the 1st Corps on Friday to investigate the incident and determine whether due procedures were followed regarding communication and coordination between the ground unit and final authority.
This incident follows a recent evacuation near Pyeongtaek due to a white phosphorus leak and occurs amid heightened sensitivity to aerial activity along the border, testing the alliance between Seoul and Washington.
An incident occurred at the front line in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, where the South Korean military attempted to shoot down a U.S. military drone after mistaking it for a North Korean one. This covers the issue of the military's overall incompetence in operational and response systems, revealed by the failure to report the training exercise, as well as the lax discipline of front-line units.