South Korea to train half a million military personnel to become ‘drone warriors’

South Korea's defence minister announced plans to train 500,000 military personnel as drone operators across all service branches, procuring 11,000 commercial drones by year-end and 60,000 by 2029, alongside 20,000+ disposable combat drones. The overhaul responds to drone effectiveness demonstrated in Ukraine and the Middle East, and specifically to North Korea's growing unmanned capabilities, which were highlighted by a 2022 incident in which North Korean drones breached South Korean airspace including near the presidential office. The Guardian's reporting is sourced directly from Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back's Friday announcement, includes specific procurement timelines and numbers, and provides strategic context including North Korea's deepening military partnership with Russia and Kim Jong-un's concurrent weapons tests. Corroboration from The Straits Times and The Copenhagen Post confirms the 500,000 personnel and drone procurement figures; India Today adds the broader arms-race dynamic between North and South. Readers should monitor the procurement timeline (11,000 drones by end of 2026, escalating to 60,000 by 2029) and whether counter-drone systems development keeps pace with the rapid drone expansion, as well as any response from North Korea to this strategic shift.