The Republic of Korea Army was involved in two recent incidents in which friendly drones were mistaken for potential threats, with both cases reportedly coming close to an engagement.
Earlier this week, Rep. Sung Il-jong claimed the 1st Army Corps nearly downed a military drone conducting a flight test.
Deployed along the country’s western front bordering North Korea, the unit was reportedly notified in advance about the planned drone flight.
Despite the notice, the unit allegedly issued an air defense alert and prepared to engage the aircraft as it entered its airspace.
The army’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) acknowledged that it was aware of the flight test but said the drone flew at a higher altitude than specified in the notice.
This prompted personnel to follow established air defense procedures, with the JCS also denying it issued an air defense alert.
Sung described the incident as a “major blunder” by the Army Corps.
“We express concerns that exposing the standard operational procedures of frontline units may affect our military readiness and the morale of our troops,” the JCS stated, as quoted by Yonhap News Agency.
Earlier US Drone Incident
The 1st Army Corps was also involved in an earlier incident involving a US military drone, with sources saying the unit mobilized artillery after mistaking the aircraft for an enemy system.
Sung called for Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back to step down, arguing that the incidents demonstrate serious failures in the army’s ability to identify and respond to friendly drones.
“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 commander of the 1st Army Corps has since been relieved of duty and is awaiting a disciplinary evaluation related to the flight-test incident and the earlier US drone mishap.
