Nighttime helicopter drill near Cheong Wa Dae stirs unease

Multiple helicopters flew over the Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Tuesday evening, prompting unease among some nearby residents as it coincided with President Lee Jae Myung’s trip to New York. The flights were part of a nighttime training exercise conducted by the Capital Defense Command, according to the Ministry of National Defense. The ministry explained that such drills are occasionally held when the president is outside the country. The ministry had not responded to further questions about the details, such as the number of helicopters involved and the specific purpose and flight routes of the exercise. Although it was a drill, the fact that an unusually large number of helicopters were mobilized and were flying after sunset drew unease among residents nearby. The uneasiness was partially because of the memory of the Dec. 3, 2025, martial law imposition by then-President Yoon Suk Yeol, when a dozen helicopters flew to the National Assembly in Yeouido to arrest opposition leaders. A resident living near Cheong Wa Dae said the chopper noise was unusually frequent and loud compared with n