South Korea responded to the recent incursion by North Korean drones into the South’s territory. The incursion marks the latest flare in tensions in the peninsula in five years.
A South Korean official said that Monday’s incursion by five North Korean drones into South Korean airspace was a “clear act of provocation.” South Korea has since responded by deploying its own spy aircraft into North Korea’s territory. The North Korean drones were first detected over the northwestern city of Gimpo at 10:25 in the morning, according to South Korean officials.
The drones appeared to be flying over Gimpo for “several hours”, and the South Korean military scrambled jets and fired warning shots in response to the incursion. One KA-1 fighter jet crashed in the South’s response, according to Eunice Kim of Al Jazeera.
The South Korean defense ministry confirmed the accident involving one jet. Two pilots from the crash were able to escape and are at the hospital receiving treatment.
One of the five drones flew close to the South Korean capital Seoul while the others flew toward the west coast.
South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official Lee Seung-o told a media briefing that the military “operated assets to shoot down” the drones but did not say if the measure was successful. Lee added that South Korea fired warning shots when the drones were first detected.
Lee also said that the South’s reconnaissance aircraft flew into North Korean territory to take photos corresponding to the North’s drone incursion, suggesting that the drones were meant for spying.
The South Korean Yonhap news outlet reported that the South Korean military fired around 100 shots but did not shoot any of the drones down. It remains to be seen whether the drones returned to North Korea.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol criticized the response to the North Korean drone incursion on Tuesday, saying that he will fast-track the creation of a military unit that specializes in drones.
“The incident showed a substantial lack of our military’s preparedness and training for the past several years, and clearly confirmed the need for more intense readiness and training,” Yoon told a cabinet meeting.