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President Yoon Hee-yeol said on Thursday that South Korea must step up preparations for airspace intrusions after the military failed to shoot down five North Korean drones that crossed the border.
The drone intrusion on Monday – one of which flew close to the capital Seoul – prompted the South Korean military to deploy fighter jets and attack helicopters.
But despite the five-hour-long operation, the military failed to shoot down the North Korean drone, prompting widespread criticism and an apology for the country’s military response.
President Yoon said Thursday that the incident was “intolerable,” adding that the South should ensure that Pyongyang “realizes that provocations always have harsh consequences.”
“In order to achieve peace, we need overwhelming readiness for war,” he said during a visit to the state-run Defense Development Agency.
“With the exception of drones, the overall response system to all flying objects that intrude into our airspace must be re-examined to quickly remedy deficiencies.”
Earlier this week, Yoon slammed the military’s handling of the incident and ordered to speed up plans to activate a drone force, including advanced stealth models, to provide surveillance of key military installations in Pyongyang.
The Southern Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday that it would hold an exercise focused on drones.
The incursion was the first time in five years that a Pyongyang drone flew into South Korean airspace, following a recent barrage of sanctions-violating weapons tests by North Korea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said this year he wanted North Korea to have the world’s most powerful nuclear force, declaring his country an “irreversible” nuclear power.
Yoon said North Korea’s nuclear weapons would not affect Seoul’s response to future provocations from Pyongyang.
“Whether the opponent possesses nuclear weapons or WMD, we should send a clear message to the provocateur,” Yin said.
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