The defense ministry said Friday the military has been deploying an integrated anti-drone system in multiple locations across the country to counter threats posed by unmanned aerial vehicles from North Korea.

The move comes as South Korea has pushed to bolster its drone response capabilities after five North Korean drones crossed the border in December 2022, with one of them entering Seoul. The military failed to intercept any of them, raising questions over its readiness.

"The anti-drone integrated system is undergoing deployment in major important locations to respond to threats posed by small North Korean unmanned aerial vehicles," a defense ministry official said.

The integrated system consists of various equipment, including radar and drone signal jammers, making it capable of detecting, tracking, and taking down the unmanned vehicles.

The military is reportedly planning to initially deploy around 20 systems to units under the Capital Defense Command and others in charge of defending key areas.

North Korea has recently pushed to advance its drone capabilities, with leader Kim Jong-un overseeing a performance test of suicide attack drones last month. (Yonhap)