The South Korean military still holds the upper hand over North Korea in conventional forces but Pyongyang is closing the gap in science and technology, Seoul’s Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said Wednesday.

Kang spoke at a plenary session of the National Assembly’s budget committee, commenting on the flow of drones and other advanced technologies to North Korea since the Ukraine war began.

“We have assessed that they could pose a threat going forward, and we are working to include about 80 billion won ($58 million) in the budget for an integrated counter-drone system,” he said.

The Defense Ministry’s record