The military of South Korea has apologized for failing to shoot down five North Korean drones that crossed their shared border on Monday.
One of the planes flew near the capital, prompting Seoul to fire warning shots and dispatch jets and assault helicopters to take it down.
Despite a five-hour pursuit, the drones returned to North Korea, according to reports.
The president of South Korea stated that the incident demonstrated that the military was “very unprepared.
In a statement released on Tuesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, which comprise the country’s major armed forces, recognized that while the military can fight “attack drones that pose a real threat,” its capacity to identify and destroy smaller spy drones is restricted.
Kang Shin-Chul, a senior official, stated, “Our military’s lack of readiness has aroused great alarm among the populace.” He added that the military would “actively employ detecting systems to quickly identify the enemy’s drone and aggressively launch strike assets.”
The BBC’s correspondent in Seoul, Jean Mackenzie, expressed alarm since the drone that flew near Seoul could conduct surveillance operations and photograph sensitive places.
In reaction to Monday’s event, President Yoon Suk-yeol stated during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that he would strive to expedite the creation of a military unit to monitor North Korea’s military sites, which would be equipped with cutting-edge stealthy drones.
In addition, he criticized his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, for his “dangerous” North Korea policy, which includes a 2018 inter-Korean military treaty prohibiting hostile border actions.
North Korean drones penetrated South Korean airspace on Monday for the first time in five years. The invasion occurred amid heightened tensions on the peninsula, with the North completing a record number of missile tests this year.
Local media reported on Tuesday that another suspected drone sighting had occurred in South Korea, but the defense ministry has stated that this was a flock of birds.
The North claimed earlier this month that it had conducted the necessary tests to construct its first spy satellite, which could be used to monitor South Korea. It posted an alleged aerial photograph of Seoul taken during the test.
Experts believe North Korea is refining and improving its weaponry while pressuring the United States to relax sanctions ahead of any future negotiations.
