An American reconnaissance drone was nearly shot down by South Korean artillery after allied troops mistook it for an enemy aircraft near the border with North Korea, according to the Yonhap news agency. The incident in the buffer zone south of the military demarcation line has raised questions about communication between Seoul and Washington.
The scare unfolded on Thursday, when South Korean forces detected an unidentified drone in the buffer zone. Military crews activated air-defense warning systems, prepared artillery to destroy the object, and ordered the evacuation of civilians from nearby areas before the aircraft was finally identified.
The drone, it turned out, belonged to the US Marine Corps and was participating in joint maneuvers. US Forces Korea had filed formal notice about the planned flights, but because of a mistake the information was not passed up the chain of command and never reached frontline units, media reports said.
Investigation opened
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Friday that it had launched a formal inquiry into the case. A JCS representative stressed that the probe would focus on whether field units and senior commanders followed the correct reporting and approval procedures.
– We will determine whether the relevant procedures were properly followed, particularly regarding communication and coordination between the field unit and the body responsible for final approval – said a Joint Chiefs of Staff representative.
The US military command said it would cooperate closely with Seoul to establish what happened.
Political fallout
South Korea’s main opposition People Power Party hit out at the government. Spokesman Park Czung Kwon said the situation exposed a lack of discipline in the armed forces and should be treated as a national security risk.
– We will hold those responsible for this incident accountable for non-compliance with military surveillance and reporting systems – said Park Czung Kwon.
The party also demanded that Defense Minister An Gju Bak step down immediately.
The incident is not the only embarrassment for the military. One day earlier, the Korea Herald reported that soldiers from the corps responsible for defending the western front had spent part of the first half of 2026 on guard duty with unloaded machine guns.
That disclosure fueled concern among experts about how ready South Korean troops would be to respond to a surprise attack from North Korea. Together with the drone scare, it has put the defense ministry under growing pressure to explain its handling of frontline operations.
Source: Polsat News, Photo: Polsat News
