A U.S. military drone participating in joint drills with South Korea flew over a border region, prompting local residents to evacuate as a precautionary measure. The U.S. Forces Korea confirmed the drone belonged to them and is assessing the situation with South Korean authorities.
The incident highlights the ongoing military tensions and potential for miscalculation along the heavily fortified inter-Korean border, even during routine training exercises.
A U.S. military drone flew over an inter-Korean border region on Thursday during combined drills with South Korea, prompting local residents to evacuate as a precautionary measure. The unmanned vehicle was detected south of a general outpost in northern Gyeonggi Province, near the border with North Korea.
Officials from both South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) confirmed the drone belonged to the U.S. military. A JCS official stated that operational measures were implemented in accordance with standard protocol, while the USFK confirmed the drone was participating in bilateral training between U.S. Marines and the Republic of Korea Marine Corps' 1st Marine Division. USFK personnel are currently assessing the incident and coordinating with their South Korean counterparts and local authorities.
An alert was issued earlier in the day for Cheorwon, a town approximately 70 kilometers north of Seoul and near the buffer zone along the inter-Korean border, advising residents to seek shelter. The South Korean military initially detected the drone but could not immediately determine its origin. It remains unclear if the drone's flight path was not shared with regional South Korean military units or if it deviated from its intended course. The JCS official declined to provide further details, including whether the drone had violated the no-fly zone established under the now-suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact.