Evacuation of Some South Korean Residents! US Forces in Korea Confirm: Involved Unidentified Flying Object is a US Military Drone

[Global Network Report, Reporter Li Ziyu] According to reports from the Korean Central News Agency and other media, an unidentified flying object was discovered in the northern border area of South Korea on July 30, leading to the evacuation of some nearby residents. It was later found that the flying object was a U.S. military drone participating in the joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States.

Reports indicate that local residents said that around 2:30 PM that day, village chiefs received a text message stating, "Due to the appearance of an unidentified drone in the (Gangwon-do) Yeoncheon-gun area, residents in nearby areas need to evacuate urgently." It is understood that a South Korean military outpost stationed in Yeoncheon sent the aforementioned message to the heads of nearby villages. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed around 3:30 PM that the flying object was a U.S. drone participating in the joint military exercise.

The report stated that the U.S. Forces Korea also confirmed that the involved flying object was a drone belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps participating in the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise. The U.S. and South Korean Marine Corps conducted a joint military exercise that day, during which this incident occurred. The U.S. side is investigating the circumstances of the incident and is maintaining communication with the South Korean military and local government.

The Korean Central News Agency speculated that this incident may have occurred because the flight plan of the U.S. military drone in the border area was not properly communicated to the South Korean side, or the drone deviated from its planned flight path.