South Korea announced spending $441 million (560 billion won) over the next five years for a set of anti-drone projects, including the deployment of a laser weapons system, after a drone invasion from North Korea earlier this week set off jitters in Seoul.
Under the newly announced budget, Seoul aims to spend $261 billion (331.4 trillion won) in all on defense until 2027, with an average increase of 6.8% per year.
On Monday, five North Korean drones entered South Korea’s airspace, prompting the military to scramble fighter aircraft and helicopters. However, the South Korean military failed to shoot or bring down any of the drones. This was the first time since 2018 that a North Korean drone has entered South’s airspace. Later, Seoul responded by sending drones over North Korea for three hours.
President Yoon seeks apology from military
Monday’s intrusion and military’s failure against the North Korean drones triggered criticism in South Korea of its air defense. Infuriated President Yoon Suk-yeol, highlighting military’s failure to bring down the drones while they flew over South Korea for hours, and sought an apology from the military.
South Korea’s military later apologized for failing to bring down the enemy drones maintaining that it could not shoot down the drones because they were too small.
Strong retaliation
Yoon said any provocation by Pyongyang in future must be met with strong retaliation without hesitation despite its nuclear weapons.
“We must punish and retaliate against any provocation by North Korea. That is the most powerful means to deter provocations,” Yoon said in a meeting with his aides, according to his press secretary Kim Eun-hye. “We must not fear or hesitate because North Korea has nuclear weapons.”
Defense minister Lee Jong-sup told parliament on Wednesday that the president had ordered the ministry to send drones into North Korea in response to any incursion “even if that means risking escalation”.
South Korea aims to procure more fighter jets, submarines
South Korea also aims to procure more stealth jets and ballistic missile submarines and to accelerate the development of systems to intercept rockets, the ministry said.
“We will strengthen our … retaliation capability to be able to destroy key facilities anywhere in North Korea in case of its nuclear attack or use of weapons of mass destruction,” the ministry said in a statement.
Defense expenditure is, however, subject to parliamentary approval.