(LEAD) U.S. drone mix-up caused by communication error at working level: official

A mix-up between South Korean and U.S. militaries over a U.S. drone flight was caused by a communication error at the working level, according to a South Korean military official. The incident occurred when South Korean forces detected the U.S. spy drone flying over the inter-Korean border area, mistaking it for an enemy threat.

The drone was part of a routine combined exercise with the South Korean Marines at a U.S. training site in Paju, north of Seoul. The South Korean military conducted an inspection of the Army's 1st Corp, which has jurisdiction over the firing range, and confirmed that the incident was due to a communication error between working-level personnel regarding on-site airspace control procedures.

The command reporting system did not function properly, and it was also due to a customary practice of failing to comply with official flight authorization procedures. The South Korean military will work with the U.S. side to improve the bilateral coordination system on airspace control.

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