Yoon Suk-yeol to visit defense agency amid North Korean drone threat

President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a policy briefing by the Science Ministry at the Blue House's Yeongbingwan state guesthouse in central Seoul on Dec. 28. [YONHAP]

President Yoon Suk-yeol was set to visit a state defense research agency Thursday to check the nation's progress on drone and missile development following North Korea's recent drone infiltration.

Yoon will visit the Agency for Defense Development in Daejeon and state the military's commitment to firmly respond to North Korean provocations while emphasizing that punishment and retaliation are the strongest means of deterrence, his office said.

The visit comes three days after North Korea sent five drones into South Korean airspace, including one into northern parts of Seoul. South Korea's military failed to shoot them down, raising questions about its readiness posture.

Yoon berated Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup over the botched operation and instructed his aides to retaliate in no uncertain terms against future provocations, saying they should not be fearful or hesitant just because North Korea has nuclear weapons.

Yonhap