Military Verifies Flight Plan Following Drone Shoot-down Scare

On the afternoon of the 30th, an unidentified drone was detected by South Korean military radar in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, near the Civilian Control Line.

Upon detecting the unidentified object on radar, the South Korean military strengthened its air defense posture against a potential North Korean drone intrusion. However, the aircraft was not shot down after its flight path was confirmed to be centered around the U.S. training ground in Paju and its appearance differed from North Korean-made drones.

At the time, the ROK Marine 1st Division and the U.S. 3rd Marine Division, among others, were conducting the combined exercise KMEP. U.S. Forces Korea confirmed that the drone was operated by the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, which had been forward-deployed with the 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. Ultimately, the aircraft was confirmed to be a U.S. military drone participating in the ROK-U.S. combined exercise.