Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Capt. Jang Do-young and Col. Ryan Donald, spokesperson for the US Forces Korea, attend a press briefing at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul on Feb. 26, 2026. (pool photo)
A US drone used in a training exercise was mistaken for an unidentified flying object and nearly shot down by South Korea near the North Korean border on Thursday. The incident has laid bare a lack of proper communication between the South Korean and US militaries and entrenched poor practices.When South Korean forces detected the drone as an unidentified flying object in northern Gyeonggi on the afternoon of July 30, it activated the “Durumi” readiness posture for responding to enemy drone incursions. The South Korean military tracked the object and prepared to shoot it down, mobilizing anti-aircraft weapons and helicopters, and an evacuation order was sent via text message to residents living north of the Cheorwon civilian control line in Gangwon Province. An hour or so later, the unidentified object was confirmed to be a reconnaissance drone flown by US Marines taking part in a Korean Marine Exchange Program exercise in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The South Korean Army was just moments away from firing at the US drone.Instead of sending an official letter, the US military had notified a Korean military officer of the planned drone flight through a text message sent the day before the training. Upon receiving the message, the South Korean I Corps officer simply replied that there would be no restrictions on the flight and failed to convey or report the message to his superiors. However, the drone was flown at a high altitude and ultimately led to the Durumi activation. It is believed the South Korean official thought the drone flight in question would be a routine training flight below a certain altitude, and determined it was at the discretion of the I Corps.“The US Army notified a ROK I Corps officer of the plan to fly the drone via text message on July 29, the day before the Korean Marine Exchange Program training,” a South Korean military official stated. “The altitude of the drone [the actual flight plan] was sent in an attached photograph of the official letter.”Drone flights near the border with North Korea require an official letter to be sent in advance in order to receive prior authorization. However, on this occasion, the US Army failed to send an official letter and simply notified the South Korean Army via text message the day beforehand. Military officials explained that the South Korean official was unable to determine the actual altitude as it was displayed only in a photo of the official letter attached to the message.In addition, the US Army is supposed to receive approval from the Air Force Operations Command instead of the Ground Operations Command (I Corps) for flights above a certain altitude. Military authorities stated it is customary for Korean and US military officers to replace formal procedures with text message communication.“The ROK Army has determined this incident was caused by a failure of the reporting system under the chain of command and failure to comply with formal procedures due to customary practice,” a South Korean Army official stated. “This case reaffirms the necessity of complying with airspace control procedures between Korea and the US.”By Kwon Hyuk-chul, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
