The moves reflect Seoul’s push to turn lessons from overseas battlefields into practical drone operations at home, as unmanned systems play a growing role in both military and public security missions.
The NIS said Friday it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Army at Gyeryongdae, the military headquarters in South Chungcheong Province. Under the agreement, the two sides will share domestic and overseas drone security information, improve regulations on advanced drone use, verify drone and counter-drone systems and conduct joint drills against threats to national security facilities.
The spy agency said it will also share information and analysis on drones used in overseas conflicts to support the Army’s efforts to strengthen its drone capabilities and upgrade tactics. The NIS signed a similar agreement with the Navy in October last year.
“Information on drones used in overseas battlefields is an important asset for improving our military’s operational capabilities,” the NIS said. “Through close cooperation with the Army, we will support responses to drone threats and help establish a national drone security system.”
In a related move, the Ministry of Science and ICT opened a coastal test site for unmanned vehicles in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province. The facility, located at the Dangjin Drone Industry Support Center, is the country’s first test site where land, sea and aerial unmanned systems can be operated together for cooperative missions.
The ministry said the site will support demonstrations of integrated control technologies for coastal security missions, including monitoring illegal entry, detecting pollution sources and responding to maritime accidents. The project will be carried out in cooperation with the Korea AeroSpace Administration and the Korea Coast Guard.
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