South Korea’s defence ministry has temporarily suspended spending on a planned purchase of additional small reconnaissance drones after controversy over their performance.
Data submitted by the Drone Operations Command to Rep. Boo Seung-chan of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea shows the unit earmarked 1.34 billion won ($914,000) this year to acquire 24 drones. The model, developed domestically by the Agency for Defence Development in 2023, was produced under an in-house initiative focused on rapid, low-cost manufacturing. Within six months, 100 units were built at about 30 million won ($2,000) each.
The same drone type was deployed to Pyongyang in October 2024 during a controversial infiltration mission under then-president Yoon Suk Yeol, who pursued a hard-line policy toward North Korea. However, the platform has drawn sustained criticism for operational weaknesses, including loud flight noise, difficulty tracking its position and a large radar cross-section that increases the risk of detection.
In internal testing, the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) flagged these shortcomings, warning that detectability and noise levels undermined its reconnaissance value. Last year, the command allocated 534 million won ($365,000) for similar purchases but withdrew the request after DAPA called for improvements. Despite those concerns remaining unresolved, a larger budget was set aside this year.
Boo urged a complete halt to further acquisitions and called for a comprehensive review of drone assets introduced under the previous administration. After media scrutiny, the ministry said it would suspend the budget and reassess the project, reallocating funds to equipment that better meets operational needs.
Photo: An unmanned aerial vehicle discovered in Pyongyang in this photo released by North Korea’s state media on Oct. 19, 2024. Yonhap
Source: Korea Times