Opposition lawmaker and Democratic Party leader Maeng Seong-gyu stated that 3 out of 15 South Korean airports have countermeasures, such as radars, radio frequency scanners, and cameras, to repel North Korean reconnaissance drones.
The drones have been an issue in the past, such as when North Korean drones breached South Korean airspace throughout 2023. One of the drones flew to downtown Seoul before turning back, which caused air traffic to halt for an hour.
Currently, only the Incheon, Gimpo, and Jeju island airports have sufficient ways to deal with the possible threat, with the ability to spot drones up to 2 miles (3 km) away. However, South Korea’s Transport Ministry pledged to install anti-drone equipment an additional eight joint military-civilian airports “within this year.”
While there are no instances of North Korean drones flying over South Korean airports, North Korea’s drone fleet creates a potential threat for South Korea’s airports.
