SEOUL, June 20. /TASS/. The South Korean government has approved a plan to establish a drone operations command in September, according to the Yonhap news agency.

On Tuesday, it reported that South Korea’s military intends to respond asymmetrically to any new infiltration of South Korean airspace by North Korean drones.

"The armed forces have decided internally to dispatch 10 or more drones to Pyongyang and program them to fly over key targets there if North Korea sends one drone over the skies of Seoul," a high-ranking military source told the news agency.

In turn, South Korean Defense Ministry Spokesman Jeon Ha-kyu noted that Seoul "will take countermeasures in case of another drone infiltration in line with its right to self-defense."

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo asked the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Republic of Korea to take all necessary measures in order for the drone command to begin operating as planned.

The military agency pointed out that establishing a special drone operations command was necessary due to the "threat" emanating from North Korea and the increased role of drones in modern warfare. The military plans to acquire 100 small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by the end of June. The new command will be in charge of reconnaissance and strike operations, as well as psychological and electromagnetic warfare.

On December 26, 2022, five North Korean UAVs appeared in South Korean airspace. One of them reached a no-fly zone near the presidential office in Seoul, while four were spotted flying west of the capital. The South Korean military targeted them for about five hours but did not manage to take them down. The drone that reached the capital was able to return to base while the others disappeared from radar.