Seoul: A series of crashes involving advanced Korean-made drones at the Defense Ministry's first Defense Drone Technology Exhibition in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, on Wednesday was an embarrassing setback. A jet-powered unmanned aircraft developed by Korea Aerospace Industries crashed shortly after takeoff, while problems also occurred with a direct-impact attack drone and a drone-launched guided missile. Five of 12 drones failed to operate properly. The failures unfolded before some 2,200 spectators, including officials from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Watching advanced weapons representing K-defense plunge helplessly to the ground was a national embarrassment. The sighs and groans heard at the site were understandable.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Defense Ministry said some failures were part of the technology development process and that frequency interference caused by the large crowd may have been a factor. Trial and error is inevitable. But on Aug. 25, two suicide drones tested by the Navy and the Agency for Defense Development also crashed just seconds after launch. Investigators attributed those failures to a simple defect in the launch tube. If problems have occurred repeatedly at sea and on land within a month, the entire system - including design, components, communications and testing and evaluation - needs scrutiny.
More troubling is that the Korean military appears to be falling behind as drone warfare becomes increasingly important. The Drone Operations Command, established under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration after North Korean drones violated Korean airspace, was abolished under the current government. Eliminating a command does not eliminate the reality of drone warfare.
In the Ukraine war and recent fighting in the Middle East, drones have become central assets for reconnaissance, attack and electronic warfare. North Korean forces are gaining combat experience through military cooperation with Russia and their deployment to the war in Ukraine. Korea's government, meanwhile, remains reluctant even to dispatch an observer group. North Korea is learning on the battlefield while Korea hesitates to directly examine Ukraine's combat experience.
There is no need to fear failures during development. But officials must not simply attribute them to external factors. The government and military should thoroughly determine the causes of these crashes and prevent a recurrence.
Rather than focusing on demonstrations for show, they must concentrate their capabilities on developing drone forces that actually work on the battlefield. Before promoting the K-defense brand, Korea must first secure the technological capabilities and reliability worthy of that name.