The South Korean military fired warning shots and mobilized planes after North Korean drones entered South Korean airspace on Monday, South Korean officials said days after North Korean authorities launched two ballistic missiles in their latest test activities. .
Several North Korean drones crossed the inter-Korean border and were detected in the South's territory
on Monday morning, the South Korean Defense Ministry said.
The South Korean military fired warning shots before mobilizing fighter jets and attack helicopters to shoot down the North Korean drones, the Defense Ministry said.
It is currently unknown if the drones were shot down.
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It is the first time North Korean drones have entered South Korean airspace since 2017,
when a North Korean drone crashed on South Korean territory.
South Korean military officials said at the time that the drone photographed a US missile defense system in South Korea.
North Korea has previously touted its drone program, and South Korean officials say the
North has around 300 drones.
In 2014, several suspected North Korean drones were found south of the border.
Experts said they were low-tech drones but could be considered a potential security threat to South Korea.
Last Friday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern waters, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The launch was billed as a protest over joint US-South Korean air drills that the North Korean government views as an invasion rehearsal.
A suspected North Korean drone is checked at the Ministry of Defense in Seoul, South Korea, on June 21, 2017. Lee Jung-hoon / AP, file
North Korea has conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests this year in what some experts call an attempt to improve its weapons and pressure its rivals to make concessions, such as lifting sanctions in future negotiations.
North Korea also recently claimed to have carried out major tests needed to acquire its first spy satellite and a more mobile ICBM capable of reaching the continental United States.
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North Korea is to hold a key conference of the ruling Workers' Party this week to review past policies and set policy goals.
Some experts say that during the meeting, North Korea will likely reaffirm its commitment to bolstering its nuclear and missile arsenals in the face of what it calls hostile US policies, including US-led international sanctions and military training. regular with South Korea.