Anchor: A drone command capable of conducting surveillance throughout North Korea will be established in September. The Cabinet approved the plan on Tuesday in light of drone incursions by the North last year, one of which flew near the presidential office in Seoul.
Choi You Sun has this report. 

Report: The Cabinet passed an ordinance on Tuesday establishing a drone operations command within the military in response to North Korea's drone incursions late last year.

Presiding over the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said the command will be responsible for effectively and overwhelmingly responding to future encroachments of South Korean airspace by the North similar to that of last December.

Han asked the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to ensure that the new unit is able to perfectly carry out operations upon its launch.

Noting that Pyongyang continues to threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula with its actions, the prime minister said Seoul will maintain a thorough response posture to overwhelmingly deter any type of provocation.

The drone command, set to launch under the defense minister in September, will be tasked with carrying out surveillance, reconnaissance and strike operations as well as psychological warfare.

Explaining the command's plans, a senior military source said that in the event North Korea sends an unmanned aerial vehicle over Seoul, the military intends to reciprocate by sending more than ten drones toward Pyongyang to fly over key target locations.

The military is reportedly working to secure 100 small-sized drones by the end of the month that can carry out surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities throughout the North, with a sufficient amount of long-range reconnaissance drones already secured.

Asked if sending drones to the North would be in violation of the armistice agreement, defense ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said it would be in self-defense.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.