South Korea to train all 500,000 troops as drone warriors, field 60,000 new unmanned systems by 2029

South Korea’s defense ministry unveiled an ambitious plan to turn its entire military into drone operators on June 26, with Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back declaring drones a “universal combat tool” that all troops should wield like a “second personal weapon.” The initiative aims to offset the numerical disadvantage of roughly 450,000 active-duty South Korean personnel against North Korea’s 1.2‑million‑strong army.

Drone procurement at scale

The ministry initially set a target of 110,000 drones by 2029 but later revised the figure to approximately 60,000, with about 11,000 commercial training drones expected by the end of 2026. A further 20,000 low-cost disposable combat drones are planned by 2030. The systems will rely exclusively on domestically produced components, avoiding Chinese parts due to security concerns.

Low-cost drones operated in large numbers are fundamentally changing the nature of warfare.

Counter-drone and organisational shifts

Alongside the offensive drone push, Seoul will expand counter-drone capabilities, including laser and high-power microwave weapons. The former drone operations command is being reorganised to focus on industry collaboration and rapid procurement of civilian technology, while each service branch will gain the ability to conduct its own surveillance and strike missions with drones instead of relying on a centralised command.

Ukraine and the demographic crunch

Minister Ahn explicitly cited the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as catalysts for the reform, where cheap unmanned systems have served as force multipliers. For South Korea, the parallel is sharp: a shrinking conscript pool due to the country’s low birthrate and the exclusion of women from mandatory service make it increasingly difficult to maintain a 500,000‑strong active-duty force, lending urgency to the drone-heavy strategy.

Political and historical context

The overhaul arrives against a politically sensitive backdrop. In 2022, five North Korean drones intruded into South Korean airspace, one entering the no‑fly zone over the presidential office, prompting a costly but unsuccessful interception effort. More recently, a South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison over a drone incursion into North Korea that prosecutors said was staged to justify his 2024 martial law bid. North Korea, meanwhile, has deepened its drone capabilities through military cooperation with Russia, including deploying troops to Ukraine and gaining battlefield exposure to drone warfare at scale.