South Korea intends to train all members of its nearly 500,000-strong military to operate drones as a standard combat skill. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back announced the initiative on June 26 during a briefing. The effort aims to counter North Korea's larger forces by making drones a universal tool for troops.
The plan treats drones like a second personal weapon for every soldier. It includes equipping units with low-cost expendable drones for surveillance and strikes, plus new counter-drone lasers and microwave systems. Officials will reorganize the former drone operations command to work more closely with domestic industry on commercial drone technology.
Ahn cited lessons from drone use in Ukraine and the Middle East as key influences. South Korea's active force of about 450,000 faces North Korea's 1.2 million troops, a gap that mirrors Ukraine's experience against Russia.
The military will start with 11,000 training drones this year and aims for 60,000 by 2029. All drones must use 100 percent domestic components with no Chinese parts due to security concerns. Officials noted that not every soldier will receive a drone even for training.