South Korea says to train 500,000 'drone warriors' to counter North Korea
South Korea plans to train 500,000 'drone warriors' and deploy tens of thousands of unmanned systems to counter North Korean threats. The military aims to integrate drones as standard personal equipment while ensuring all components are domestically produced to avoid reliance on Chinese technology.
Why it matters
This represents a significant shift in modern warfare doctrine, prioritizing low-cost, mass-produced autonomous systems over traditional hardware.
South Korea will rapidly expand its drone and counter-drone capabilities to counter North Korea, including by training 500,000 “drone warriors” and distributing tens of thousands of unmanned systems across frontline units, the Defence Ministry said on Friday (June 26, 2026).
The article reports on official government announcements and military strategy without injecting editorial opinion.
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