Lead

A communication error between working-level personnel caused last week's mix-up between South Korean and U.S. militaries over a U.S. drone flight, a South Korean military official said Monday. The incident occurred after South Korean forces detected the U.S. spy drone flying over the inter-Korean border area, mistaking it for an enemy threat and almost preparing to shoot it down.

The drone was with a U.S. Marine Corps unit taking part in a routine combined exercise with the South Korean Marines at a U.S. training site in Paju, north of Seoul. The South's military conducted an inspection of the Army's 1st Corps, which has jurisdiction over the firing range.

"The inspection confirmed that the incident occurred due to a communication error between working-level personnel regarding on-site airspace control procedures," an official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) told reporters. "The command reporting system did not function properly, and it was also due to a customary practice of failing to comply with official flight authorization procedures," the official said.

Coverage comparison

The Yonhap News Agency reported that the inspection revealed a working-level soldier with the 1st Corps had received a text message from the U.S. military notifying the unit of its drone flight plan and firing altitude the day before the exercise. The U.S. military had attached an image of its written advance notification, which included the expected flight altitude. One version of the report noted that the soldier likely overlooked the detail and failed to report it up the chain of command, assuming the drone would fly within the altitude range governed by the Army Ground Operations Command. In another version, the report said the U.S. text message had no mention of altitude, but this was later corrected to clarify that the message did contain the flight altitude detail.

The JCS said the military was aware of the flight test plan and received prior notice from the evaluation group. However, the drone flew at a higher altitude in the afternoon than the level it declared in the advance notification, prompting the military to carry out routine operational procedures in line with its protocol.

Key claims

  • A communication error at the working level caused the mix-up between South Korean and U.S. militaries over a U.S. drone flight.
  • South Korean forces detected the U.S. spy drone flying over the inter-Korean border area, mistaking it for an enemy threat and almost preparing to shoot it down.
  • The drone was with the U.S. Marine Corps taking part in a routine combined exercise with the South Korean Marines at a U.S. training site in Paju, north of Seoul.
  • The inspection confirmed a communication error and failure to comply with official flight authorization procedures.
  • The command reporting system did not function properly.
  • The customary practice of allowing advance notice through text messages may have led to procedural shortcomings.
  • A front-line Army unit nearly shot down a South Korean military drone during a flight test.
  • The incident followed a similar mishap involving the same unit and the U.S. military.
  • The commander of the 1st Corps has been relieved of duty pending a disciplinary evaluation.
  • The U.S. text message contained flight altitude detail.
  • An image of written advance notification was attached to the text message.

Perspectives

South Korean military (Joint Chiefs of Staff): The military attributed the incident to a communication error between working-level personnel, a failure of the command reporting system, and a customary practice of non-compliance with official flight authorization procedures. It noted that the military was aware of the flight test plan and had received prior notice.

Opposition lawmaker Rep. Sung Il-jong (People Power Party): The lawmaker called the latest incident another "major blunder" and urged Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back to step down, saying it indicated a "total breakdown" of the military's operational system.