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Recruit Training Marks the Starting Point for Cultivating 500,000 Drone Warriors

Ministry of National Defense, Republic of Korea

Date : 2025-11-28

Minister Ahn visits the 35th Infantry Division Recruit Training Battalion.
Inspects the training system and encourages recruits.
Calls for drones to become the second personal weapon.
Emphasizes gaining combat sense through realistic training.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back visits the 35th Infantry Division Recruit Training Battalion on Nov. 20 to encourage recruits who completed a 20 km march. He reviews the unit's training system and urges officers to commit to establishing a drone training program, emphasizing it should serve as the foundation for developing 500,000 drone warriors.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back visited the Recruit Training Battalion to support the development of elite soldiers and encouraged the troops. He emphasized the importance of establishing a drone training system as the starting point for cultivating "500,000 drone warriors."

On November 20, Minister Ahn visited the 35th Infantry Division Recruit Training Battalion to inspect the overall training conditions. He also observed a 20 km march conducted by recruits nearing the completion of their training program.

Minister Ahn praised the recruits' determination in completing the course despite the cold weather, stating, "A true sense of combat cannot be fully conveyed through words alone." He stated, "Gaining a combat sense through realistic training is both the destiny and a crucial mission for every soldier."

Minister Ahn then examined the recruit training system and its development plans, including training for drone and counter-drone operations. He also discussed the recruit training system in consideration of the ongoing reform of the military structure over the past 40 years together with key officers present at the site.

Minister Ahn urged, "Since recruit training is the first step to becoming a soldier, instruct recruits with sincerity and attentiveness, not just logic."

Furthermore, he instructed, "From now on, drones must be treated as a second personal weapon. Be committed to establishing a drone training system so that recruit training serves as the foundation for cultivating 500,000 drone warriors."

Minister Ahn Gyu-back speaks with recruits. Minister Ahn stated, "The trust of the people must be earned starting here at the Recruit Training Battalion. Make every effort to nurture elite soldiers who possess a strong sense of mission and the capability to win in combat."

Meanwhile, last September, Minister Ahn announced a plan to cultivate 500,000 drone warriors. The aim is to strengthen combat capabilities by enabling every soldier to operate drones and to foster a new ecosystem where drone operation technologies can be expanded into private sector industries.

To support the cultivation of drone warriors, the Defense Ministry allocated approximately KRW 20.5 billion in the 2026 defense budget proposal. Of this, KRW 19 billion will be used to purchase 11,184 small drones for training, enabling soldiers to practice flight skills in their units.

Minister Ahn said, "In the late 1990s, the late President Kim Dae-jung nurtured Korea's youth into world-class digital talent through informatization education for the military, laying the foundation for Korea to emerge as an ICT powerhouse. With a new goal of cultivating 500,000 drone warriors, let's make this not just a change within the military, but a catalyst for a new future growth engine for both our domestic industry and nation."

By Byeong-No, Yun