Hunt continues for fallen drone around USFK Thaad missile base

Defense

Published: 18 Jan. 2023, 17:15

Hunt continues for fallen drone around USFK Thaad missile base

Police officers on Wednesday morning search for the drone that was brought down after approaching the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (Thaad) missile base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang, on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

The police and military are tracking the whereabouts of a drone that went missing after approaching the U.S. Forces Korea's (USFK) Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (Thaad) missile base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang.

A USFK personnel on watch first detected the drone flying toward the base at 12:54 p.m. Tuesday. The drone was reportedly flying at an altitude low enough to be seen with bare eyes, was a few tens of centimeters (several inches) in size and had four propellers, according to a spokesperson for the Army on Wednesday.

The USFK personnel immediately engaged the flying object with a jamming gun, but it fell out of sight.

Over 250 military and police staff have been searching for the drone for over two days.

According to the military, the drone may have flown away after losing its course momentarily, but it is likely that the drone is non-military considering its reported shape and size.

The police are investigating who flew the drone and why it was flown by looking over CCTV footage in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the military facility, based on a witness report.

The airspace within a 3.7 kilometer radius of the Thaad missile base and below 152 meters (499 feet) in altitude is a no-fly zone.

BY LEE KEUN-PYUNG, SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]