▲ Small drone (File photo)
An unidentified aerial vehicle was spotted near the northern border area of Gyeonggi Province today (July 30), prompting residents north of the Civilian Control Line to evacuate in panic.
According to military authorities, the vehicle turned out to be a U.S. drone that was conducting training.
Residents north of the Civilian Control Line stated that around 2:30 p.m. today, village heads received text messages stating that a drone had been identified in the Cheorwon area and that they needed to immediately move to nearby shelters or outside the control posts.
Although there was no detailed explanation of the specific situation, residents were instructed to evacuate along with an explanation that it was a real situation.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that at around 3:30 p.m., about an hour after the evacuation notice was issued, the vehicle was confirmed to be a U.S. drone.
An official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff explained, "An unidentified aerial vehicle was identified in the northern Gyeonggi Province area south of the GOP (General Outpost), and measures were taken normally in accordance with operational procedures. As a result of the check, it was confirmed to be a U.S. drone conducting training."
It is known that while our military first identified the drone through surveillance equipment, it was unable to determine whether it was our own drone or a North Korean military drone.
This confusion may have occurred because the U.S. side's drone training plan was not properly notified to our military authorities.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff are checking the flight path and the circumstances under which the U.S. drone flew over the area.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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