The Korean armed helicopter fired 100 rounds toward the UAV that entered the airspace, but none crashed.
Five objects thought to be North Korean unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were seen crossing the border between the two countries this morning, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
This is the first time a North Korean drone has flown into South Korean airspace in the last five years. Radar data shows that the first UAV went to an area north of Seoul’s capital. The other four were flying around Ganghwa Island, which is to the west. The planes were in the airspace of Korea for 7 hours.
South Korea has sent in fighter jets, armed helicopters, and light attack aircraft. The North Korean UAV was hit with 100 rounds of artillery from a helicopter, but none of them crashed. One UAV was seen flying back into North Korean airspace, but the others went away from radar screens.
The South Korean defense ministry official said, “We act the right way, so we don’t hurt the people.”
In response, the South Korean military sent out planes close to the borderline to check out military facilities on North Korean land. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, “We will continue to respond to North Korea’s provocations firmly and completely.”
The North Korean government hasn’t said anything about the report.
On the same day, the military asked the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport to shut down Incheon and Gimpo international airports.
About 30 flights were delayed for an hour before the two airports reopened at 14:10. A South Korean KA-1 light attack aircraft crashed in the Hoengseong district, about 140 kilometers east of Seoul. It had taken off in an emergency from a base in Wonju city to deal with a North Korean drone. Both pilots ejected safely, and there was no damage on the ground.
The situation on the Korean peninsula is getting worse because both sides are using their military forces more. Early in November, the South Korean military said it had seen about 180 North Korean warplanes flying near the border and had to send dozens of planes to respond.
North Korea has also tested ballistic missiles a record number of times this year, while the US and its allies have been holding many large-scale drills in the area. Washington said Pyongyang had finished preparing for a seventh nuclear test and could do it anytime.