South Korea’s military began maneuvers Thursday to strengthen its capabilities against possible drone operations by North Korea, days after several unmanned drones crossed the border, the first such incident since 2017.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Seung Kyum oversaw the maneuvers, which took place around Ganap Ri, 30 kilometers northeast of the capital Seoul, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.
«The maneuvers have been conducted with procedures to detect, identify, locate and intercept drones under various hypothetical scenarios on enemy drone infiltration,» the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry unveiled Wednesday that it plans to spend 560 billion won (about 438 million euros) over the next five years for a series of projects to strengthen defenses against drones, including the deployment of a laser weapon system.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said that North Korea’s infiltration of drones into South Korean territory is «completely unacceptable» and called on Pyongyang to realize that its provocations will have «harsh consequences».
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 has already warned of the military threat posed by these devices, both to perpetrate attacks and in espionage operations.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula following Pyongyang’s latest ballistic missile firings, including two short-range ones launched during the day on Friday.
U.S. and South Korean officials agreed last week to conduct «realistic» joint military exercises, especially in the face of missile or nuclear attack scenarios 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)
