South Korea plans to deploy half a million ‘Drone Warriors’ in the fight against North Korea

©Taiwangun via Unsplash

South Korea is turning to drones as part of its military response to North Korea. The Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that it plans to train 500,000 military personnel as drone operators, while tens of thousands of unmanned systems will be deployed to frontline units.

South Korea’s ambition is grand: by 2029, the military aims to produce 110,000 drones for deployment across all branches of the armed forces. Seoul aims to make drones standard equipment for soldiers—just like a rifle or helmet—for use by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Consequently, South Korean soldiers are being transformed into true “drone warriors.”

Minister Ahn Gyu-back called drones groundbreaking on the battlefield. According to him, the war in Ukraine, as well as the use of drones in the Middle East, has made it clear how important inexpensive and mass-deployable systems are.

At the same time, Seoul warns that North Korea is also making progress with unmanned technology. This increases the threat to military and civilian targets in South Korea.

The South Korean defense ministry therefore intends not only to produce more drones but also to invest more quickly in detection and defense systems. This will ensure the country is better prepared for a conflict in which unmanned technology plays an increasingly significant role. Seoul also intends to develop stronger countermeasures, including laser systems and high-power microwave weapons. In addition, the country aims to rely as much as possible on its own components rather than Chinese ones.

©Taiwangun via Unsplash - illustrative image