North Korea Condemns South Korean Military Drone Power Enhancement as "Military Provocation Leading to Inter-Korean Relations Collapse"

"Overt Hostile Acts"

A flight scene of a high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft (HUAS) Global Hawk (RQ-4) produced in the United States and operated by the Republic of Korea Air Force (1 unit, No. 1). The Global Hawk is an intelligence satellite-grade unmanned reconnaissance aircraft capable of identifying objects as small as 0.3 meters on the ground from an altitude of 20 km using special high-performance radar and infrared detection equipment. It can conduct operational flights for 38 to 42 hours once airborne. Its operational radius reaches 3,000 km, allowing surveillance beyond the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea condemned South Korea's move to strengthen its aerial unmanned system capabilities as a "military provocation" on the 10th.

North Korea's external propaganda outlet Chosun Today targeted the Ministry of National Defense's "Aerial Unmanned System (Drone) Promotion Evaluation Meeting" held on the 31st of last month in an article titled "Unconcealable Hostile Intent Against Our People," stating, "This is an explicit hostile act against us and a dangerous military provocation that destroys peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and accelerates the collapse of inter-Korean relations."

The outlet said, "On January 31, the South Korean military warmongers held a so-called 'Aerial Unmanned System Promotion Evaluation Meeting' at the Ministry of National Defense building, boasting about plans to operationalize 16 types of unmanned aerial vehicles, including medium- and high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance drones, within this year, and to additionally introduce over 700 commercial drones for intelligence, support, and field testing and evaluation," adding, "Such provocative acts by the South Korean military seriously threaten peace on the Korean Peninsula."

It continued, "The Aerial Unmanned System Promotion Evaluation Meeting is a result of the South Korean military's reckless hostile intent to escalate the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, colluding with foreign forces to ignite the fuse of a northern invasion war."

Chosun Today emphasized, "The overall reality clearly shows that the South Korean military warmongers are the very ones who, disregarding the hopes and aspirations of the entire nation, pursue confrontation among compatriots and are the main culprits in destroying peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," and warned, "The war confrontation provocations of the South Korean warmongers, who act recklessly under outdated delusions of confrontation without understanding their opponents, will only lead to the result of carrying firewood and jumping into the flames."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense, in the Aerial Unmanned System Promotion Evaluation Meeting chaired by Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, reviewed and evaluated the process of operationalizing the high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft (HUAV) Global Hawk (RQ-4). The first Global Hawk arrived from the United States on December 23 last year, and the remaining three units will be delivered in the first half of this year. At the meeting, Minister Jeong stated, "The military must play a leading role in the development of national drone technology applying future advanced technologies."