S Korea to take action against officials over N Korean drone infiltrations

South Korea's military has decided to give verbal or written warnings to some 10 uniformed officers in a disciplinary action over a botched operation against North Korean drone infiltrations late last year, informed sources said on Wednesday.

Following the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)'s inspection into the operation over the December 26 incursions, the military made the decision, which critics said appears too lenient given the possibility that the drones could have been used for spying or lethal operations, Yonhap news agency reported.

The chiefs of the Army's First Corps, the Capital Defense Command, the Air Force Operations Command, the Ground Operations Command and the JCS Directorate of Operations as well as a senior JCS intelligence official are to receive written warnings.

The military decided to send just a verbal warning to JCS Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum.

The North's drone infiltrations have laid bare the South Korean military's lack of readiness against such small crafts that could potentially carry lethal weapons.

The military has cited "insufficiencies" in its threat perception, internal information-sharing, equipment and training as contributing factors to the failure to intercept the five North Korean drones, including one that penetrated an air security zone close to the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

It has recently come up with a series of anti-drone plans, including conducting regular drills, building a real-time target intelligence-sharing system and securing kinetic and non-kinetic assets, such as drone jamming guns.

--IANS

int/sha