00:00South Korea is set to rapidly expand its drone capabilities in a sweeping overhaul of its
00:06warfare strategy to better deter North Korea. Defense Minister Ahn-gyu Bek reveals plans to
00:11train half a million military personnel as drone warriors, while significantly expanding its fleet
00:17of training and combat drones over the next few years. Seoul plans to acquire 11,000 commercial
00:25training drones by the end of this year, expanding the fleet to 60,000 by 2029, alongside more than
00:3220,000 low-cost combat drones by 2030. It will also fast-track the deployment of the domestically
00:38developed K-Lucas loitering munition, which was reverse-engineered from Iran's Shahid attack drones.
00:45Ahn said, conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have shown that drones are now a game-changer on
00:50the battlefield. The move comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw tests of tactical
00:55ballistic missiles and an upgraded rocket artillery system in an effort to strengthen its firepower
01:01along the southern border.
