Daily Times

President Yoon Suk-yeol said Thursday that South Korea must boost its preparedness to respond to airspace intrusions after the military failed to shoot down five North Korean drones that crossed the border.

The Monday intrusion by the drones — one of which flew close to the capital Seoul — prompted the South’s military to deploy fighter jets and attack helicopters.

But despite a five-hour operation, the military failed to shoot down the North Korean drones, prompting widespread criticism over the response and an apology from the country’s defence minister.

Yoon said the incident was “intolerable” and added that the South should ensure that Pyongyang “realise that provocations are always met with harsh consequences”.

“In order for us to achieve peace, we need to make overwhelmingly superior war preparations,” he said during a visit to the state-run Agency for Defence Development.