In brief
An editorial urges South Korea to replace a slow procurement system with a new Defense Drone Agency that will accelerate acquisition and support of indigenous drones. North Korea’s recent display of more than 30 unmanned aircraft and simulations of attacks on U.S. targets heighten the urgency. Seoul plans to buy over 20,000 cheap combat drones and push forward the K‑LUCAS long‑range exploding‑drone program.
An editorial on 5 Nov 2026 urges South Korea to speed up the acquisition of domestically made drones because of an increasing North Korean threat.
The current procurement process is slow and costly; the editorial calls for a faster path that moves commercial innovation quickly into military use.
In response, the South Korean government launched the Defense Drone Agency on Monday, taking over from the dissolved Drone Operations Command, which had faced controversy over its role in the 3 Dec 2024 martial law declaration.
Under the new structure, each military service runs its own drone operations while the new headquarters oversees policy, supports development and acquisition, and the Joint Chiefs coordinate operations.
The agency has about 100 personnel, with mid‑ and senior‑ranking specialists now making up 50 percent, up from 17 percent.
North Korea has shown more than 30 unmanned aircraft, including attack drones and a large stealth‑shaped aircraft. Kim Jong‑un has declared drone superiority indispensable and ordered faster development. The regime has also publicised simulated exploding‑drone strikes on mock South Korean guard posts and U.S. tank targets.
Experience gained by North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine and closer ties with Russia may sharpen tactics and support mass production. Drone strikes coupled with heavy artillery would complicate detection and interception.
South Korea’s recent trials reveal a gap between procurement plans and usable weapons. In August, two domestically developed exploding drones fell into the sea seconds after launch from the 14,000‑ton ROKS Marado, preventing a planned strike on a moving sea target. At a September ministry event, six of 17 demonstrations ran into trouble.
The government plans to acquire more than 20,000 low‑cost combat drones and advance the K‑LUCAS long‑range exploding‑drone program.
