Drone Threats: How South Korea is Strengthening Nuclear Plant Security in 2026

[Anchor] Drones recently struck the UAE’s Barakah nuclear power plant, a facility built with South Korean technology. The incident underscored a growing threat to nuclear infrastructure and prompted South Korea to step up training and hardening measures to defend its reactors against airborne attacks. Danbi Kim reports. [Reporter] A drone closes in on a nuclear facility. Security teams deploy an electronic jammer to disrupt its remote-control signal. When the disabled drone falls, explosive ordnance disposal personnel move in to secure and assess it. The footage documents a drill designed to counter airborne threats. Recent conflicts have shown nuclear plants can become deliberate targets, raising the risk to critical national infrastructure. Authorities say that has prompted a tightening of defensive training. “As seen in the Middle East, the drone threat is now a reality,” Ko Mun-seong, head of the Nuclear Security Division at the Korea Institute for Nuclear Control and Technology, said. “By conducting surprise drills against drone threats, we can reinforce operators’ emergency response capabilities.” The exercise also included footage of Unit 4 at the Saeul nuclear complex. Construction on Unit 4 was 97.9% complete as of last month. Unit 4 is a twin of Unit 3, which recently entered trial operation, and both units have a generating capacity of about 1,400 MW. Like Unit 3—the country’s first reactor with aircraft-collision protection built into its design—Unit 4 features concrete walls 15 cm thicker than older reactors. “Pre-operational inspections are proceeding on schedule without interruption,” Choi Won-ho, chair of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, said. “We are following these procedures rigorously to ensure there are no safety issues.” Regulators plan to review Unit 4’s operating license in the second half of this year. Unit 3 could enter commercial operation as early as that same period. This is Danbi Kim, Yonhap News TV. [Video editing: Ilhwan No] [News Review] #drone #nuclearpowerplant #SaeulNuclearPowerPlant Yonhap News TV — inquiries and tips: KakaoTalk/LINE jebo23; Danbi Kim (sweetrain@yna.co.kr)