Key facts
- A U.S. drone flight over the inter-Korean border area last week was due to a communication error at the working level, according to a South Korean military official.
- South Korean forces detected the U.S. spy drone and almost prepared to shoot it down, mistaking it for an enemy threat.
- The drone was part of a U.S. Marine Corps unit participating in a routine combined exercise with South Korean Marines.
- An inspection by the South's military revealed the incident stemmed from a failure in the command reporting system and non-compliance with flight authorization procedures.
A U.S. drone flight near the inter-Korean border last week, which nearly resulted in it being mistaken for an enemy threat by South Korean forces, was caused by a communication error at the working level, a South Korean military official said Monday.
The incident occurred when South Korean forces detected the U.S. spy drone flying over the inter-Korean border area on Thursday. They almost prepared to shoot it down, mistaking it for an enemy threat.
The unmanned vehicle was with a U.S. Marine Corps unit taking part in a routine combined exercise with the South Korean Marines at a U.S. training site in Paju, north of Seoul.