[Anchor]
To strengthen drone capabilities that have emerged as a critical game-changer on the battlefield, the South Korean military has launched the Defense Drone Headquarters. However, analysts point out that the South still has a long way to go compared to North Korea, which appears to have entered mass production of suicide drones.
Reporter Kim Minjun has the story.
[Reporter]
On the battlefields of Ukraine, where drones have proved to be game-changers in modern warfare, drone strikes blow up buildings hundreds of kilometers away and conduct emergency rescues of stranded soldiers.
At a domestic drone technology exhibition last September:
Reconnaissance and attack drones from domestic defense contractors were showcased, but an interceptor drone crashed immediately after being ejected from a mother drone,
[Voice: "It has been launched."]
amid a series of takeoff failures, crashes, and lost signals.
About a month later, North Korea unveiled its own drone technology exhibition.
The regime showcased targets being struck by suicide drones and drone-launched missiles. Analysts assess that North Korea has entered mass production, citing scenes showing hundreds of cost-effective small suicide drones stacked on shelves.
[Shin Jong-woo / Secretary General, Korea Defense and Security Forum: "North Korea is moving ahead first in training '500,000 drone warriors.' They are mass-producing standardized small suicide drones. The reality is that we have not even started yet."]
The Ministry of National Defense established the Defense Drone Headquarters today (November 2) to bolster drone combat capabilities against North Korean threats.
Its primary mission is to secure and supply reliable drones through parts standardization and equipment procurement.
Experts advise that "to keep pace with the drone warfare trend of 'cost-effective mass production,' we must begin by easing our stringent weapons acquisition system."
Operational functions will be decentralized across each military branch.
Officials explained that this move reflects a battlefield environment where drones are deployed like secondary personal firearms.
Consequently, the existing Drone Operations Command—which was implicated in an incident involving drone infiltrations into Pyongyang during the previous administration—has been disbanded after three years.
While the first step has been taken, significant hurdles remain.
Using parts from China, the world's leading drone manufacturer, is difficult due to the risk of intelligence leaks, and diplomatic friction with the Ukrainian government makes it challenging to share combat experience and technology.
With North Korea rapidly arming itself using Chinese and Russian components and technology, while also acquiring the latest tactics through troop deployments to Russia, experts predict it will not be easy to close the capability gap in a short period.
Video by Kim Hyun-sang | Video Editing by Kim Jin-won
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