The incident occurred Thursday afternoon in the northern border city of Paju, Gyeonggi Province, where U.S. Marines were conducting training as part of KMEP, a combined exercise between the South Korean and U.S. Marine Corps.
As part of the drill, the U.S. Marines launched a fixed-wing reconnaissance drone over the area. But South Korean military authorities said the flight plan had not been properly relayed to relevant front-line units.
The Army’s Ground Operations Command reportedly assessed the unidentified drone as a possible aerial threat and activated “Durumi,” an air defense response posture designed to counter North Korean drone infiltrations. The system can involve the deployment of air defense assets, including anti-aircraft guns.
No live fire took place.
Under military procedures, drone flights near the Military Demarcation Line must be reported in advance to the Army’s Ground Operations Command and receive prior approval. South Korean military officials said the U.S. side had not completed the required procedure.
U.S. Forces Korea, however, said the flight plan for the drone, which was participating in the combined exercise, had been shared with the South Korean military in advance.
The incident has raised questions over the allies’ reporting and information-sharing systems, as a communication failure nearly led to a serious mishap involving the possible shootdown of an allied aircraft.
USFK described the case as an “incident” and said it is assessing what happened while continuing to coordinate with the South Korean Marine Corps and local authorities.
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