South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (C) salutes the national flag during a joint commissioning ceremony of the Army, Navy and Air Force academies at Gyeryongdae, South Korea’s main military compound, in Gyeryong, central South Korea. File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
April 30 (Asia Today) — The South Korean army plans to train “500,000 drone troops” as drones rapidly emerge as a core weapon in modern warfare.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha held a policy briefing Tuesday at Gyeryongdae, the headquarters of South Korea’s military services, and said the army is pursuing 52 policy development tasks across 12 areas, including the transition to “Army Tiger Plus” and the early expansion of drone, counter-drone and robot capabilities.
The most notable part of the plan is the army’s goal of training 500,000 drone troops. The army plans to move beyond using drones mainly for surveillance and reconnaissance and expand their use to strike missions, while training soldiers to operate drones as freely as they use personal firearms.
“We are trying to define drones as a concept similar to personal firearms held by all combat personnel,” Kim said. “We will make sure soldiers can operate them freely. They will be developed not only for surveillance and reconnaissance but also for strike and sustainment support operations.”
The plan reflects lessons from recent conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the war involving Iran, where drones have played a prominent role. The army also said it is pursuing the introduction of battalion-level suicide drones.
To train the drone force, the army has introduced about 11,000 commercial drones for training and plans to bring in about 50,000 by 2029. The goal is to allow each squad to operate one training drone.
However, because South Korea’s current military strength is below 500,000, officials said the phrase “500,000 drone troops” is symbolic rather than a literal troop count. It refers to embedding drone operation skills across the force.
“The broad framework of the policy reflects the direction of Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek,” an army official said. “The army operates 21 regional sites, including drone education centers. These centers focus on operational training, and innovation labs are also being operated.”
“The figure of 500,000 is a conceptual term,” the official said. “It means granting drone operation qualifications across all branches.”
Kim also addressed recent controversy over reducing guard troops along front-line general outpost areas, saying the army is not in a position to cut personnel immediately.
“We are piloting an AI-based scientific guard system in two divisions,” Kim said. “It is developing in a way that reduces gaps in guard operations. But reducing personnel cannot be done in the short term. I believe it will be fully possible around 2040.”
Kim also discussed efforts to restore public trust in the military after the martial law crisis.
“It is an issue we are thinking deeply about,” Kim said. “We are strengthening organizational cohesion through communication with service members. We can fully recover and develop. The capabilities of our military members are strong enough that the public does not need to be overly concerned.”
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260430010009806