South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Tuesday to strengthen the military’s surveillance and reconnaissance operations following the infiltration of North Korean drones across the border on Monday, which provoked a response from Seoul and raised tensions on the Korean Peninsula once again.
«I think people clearly saw the danger of a North Korean policy that relied on good intentions and military agreements with North Korea,» he said, before revealing that South Korean authorities «had been planning the establishment of a drone unit to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance operations over key North Korean military facilities and, in light of yesterday’s incident, we will accelerate it as much as possible.»
In this regard, he regretted that the parliament cut the government’s proposed budget for drone operations by 50 percent and stressed that Seoul will strengthen the aforementioned capabilities by «introducing advanced stealth drones,» as reported by the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Shortly thereafter, the chief of operations of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, Kang Shin Chul, has issued a public apology after South Korean forces were unable to shoot down the drones after they broke into their airspace. «We regret that despite our military detecting and tracking the drones, we were unable to shoot them down,» he has said.
He acknowledged that the Army has limitations in detecting and shooting down small surveillance drones, but stressed that it can deal with the threat of larger attack drones. «However, we have caused concern among the public because of the Army’s insufficient readiness posture,» he said.
Kang stressed that the military plans to «aggressively» use its response capabilities, including launching regular maneuvers and incorporating platforms capable of shooting down drones without harming civilians. Moreover, Seoul will try to acquire «non-kinetic» capabilities, such as laser systems.
For its part, the United States has reiterated its commitment to the defense of North Korea following Monday’s incident, which saw a total of five North Korean drones enter South Korean airspace, including one that reached an area north of Seoul.
«We recognize the need for South Korea to protect its territorial integrity. The U.S. commitment to South Korea’s defense remains ironclad,» said a White House National Security Council spokesman, who also confirmed «close» consultations with Seoul «regarding the nature of this incursion.»
The event is the first of its kind since 2017, although between 2014 and 2017 Seoul denounced numerous drone overflight operations by North Korea and warned of the military threat posed by these devices, both to perpetrate attacks and in espionage operations. It also comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula following Pyongyang’s latest ballistic missile firings.
U.S. and South Korean officials agreed last week to conduct «realistic» joint military exercises, especially in the face of scenarios of a missile or nuclear attack by North Korea. The South Korean Defense Ministry stressed that the parties also plan to expand their joint exercises next year following a meeting between senior defense officials from both countries.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
