Seoul: An unmanned vehicle detected in the inter-Korean border region on Thursday has been identified as a U.S. military drone, according to a South Korean military official. The discovery comes amid ongoing military exercises in the area.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the drone was spotted south of a general outpost in northern Gyeonggi Province. The South Korean military responded by implementing standard operational measures, as noted by an official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) during a briefing with reporters. "Upon further verification, the unmanned vehicle was identified as a U.S. military drone participating in a training exercise," the official stated.

Earlier on Thursday, an alert was issued in Cheorwon, approximately 70 kilometers north of Seoul, near the buffer zone along the inter-Korean border. Residents in the area were advised to seek shelter following the detection of the drone's flight.

The JCS official refrained from providing additional details, such as whether the drone had breached the no-fly zone established under the now-suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact with North Korea. This zone was created during the tenure of former liberal President Moon Jae-in to avert unintended military clashes near the heavily fortified border.

The no-fly zone restricts the operation of aircraft and drones within 15 kilometers of the Demilitarized Zone in eastern areas and 10 kilometers in western regions. However, the pact has been suspended due to deteriorating inter-Korean relations. The military official noted that efforts are underway to gather further information regarding the U.S. drone's flight.