South Korea probes if spies funded drones flown into North by student

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered an investigation into claims that the country’s military intelligence command supported a civilian accused of sending drones into North Korea. The civilian at the centre of the allegations, a graduate student in his thirties identified only by his surname Oh, claims he flew drones into North Korea three times since September last year. He previously worked in ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol’s office and allegedly received – according to local media reports – financial backing from the Korea Defence Intelligence Command (KDIC), whose former commanders are among those on trial over Yoon’s failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024. At a cabinet meeting, Lee expressed concern over whether the latest drone flights were connected to that episode. “It is questionable how civilians could even imagine sending drones at a time when such a trial is under way,” he said, noting there were “allegations that a state agency was involved”. Lee described the unauthorised flights as tantamount to “firing a gun at the North” and warned they could trigger a military clash. He also rebuked Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-baek for failing to detect the incursions and directed his ministry to strengthen surveillance to prevent further provocations. “Unnecessary confrontation” between the two Koreas would likely harm the economy, he added. Lee has repeatedly raised questions about possible links to earlier drone operations related to Yoon’s martial law attempt. A Defence Ministry spokesman told This Week in Asia that a joint task force with the police had been formed for a “swift and thorough investigation”. The investigation follows Pyongyang’s accusation earlier this month that South Korea had violated its airspace with drones in September and again on January 4. Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, demanded an apology and branded Seoul’s leadership a “gang of hooligans”, calling the incidents proof of its hostility. South Korea’s military has denied involvement, insisting the drones were not operated by the armed forces. In a televised interview last week, Oh said he personally flew the drones from South Korea’s border region to collect samples near a uranium concentrate plant in Pyongsan county, claiming he wanted to investigate reports of radioactive waste water being discharged into shared waterways. He said only one drone, launched in November, was recovered. South Korea’s Unification Ministry has previously stated that tests found no significant change in radiation levels in the Yellow Sea despite public fears of cross-border radioactive contamination from North Korea’s Pyongsan plant. We can’t rule out the possibility that Oh may have sought to fuel tensions to bolster support for Yoon Cho Han-bum, Korea Institute for National Unification “It’s hard to believe that he intended to collect radioactive samples from a river using amateur drones,” said Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. “This is a dangerous act that could spark an armed clash,” he added. “We can’t rule out the possibility that Oh may have sought to fuel tensions to bolster support for Yoon.” Both Oh and an associate surnamed Jang, who allegedly assembled the drones, had worked together at Yoon’s presidential office and were known members of a right-wing youth group. Jang was charged in November with operating an unregistered drone in Gyeonggi province, near the border, and investigators identified him as a suspect after finding technical similarities between that drone and those used in the alleged cross-border flights. The case took a turn last week when Oh came forward to say he alone piloted the drones, insisting Jang’s role was limited to assembly. Prosecutors are now examining whether Oh’s activities were linked to the KDIC. Oh reportedly ran online outlets focused on North Korea that are suspected of being front companies funded by military intelligence. Investigative outlet Newstapa quoted an intelligence source as saying a KDIC officer allegedly provided Oh about 13 million won (US$8,800) to set up the websites. Analysts say the apparent depth and organisation of the operations raise questions about who was truly behind them. Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies said a “thorough investigation is necessary”. Kim Il-gi, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy, added that Pyongyang was unlikely to differentiate between private and official acts. “Ultimately, how North Korea perceives this incident is crucial,” he said. “If North Korea is provoked by the drone incident and retaliates with anti-aircraft fire, tensions on the Korean peninsula will inevitably rise significantly.”

South Korea probes if spies funded drones flown into North by student

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}What began as a student’s claim of hunting radioactive waste has spiralled into a scandal linking military spies to dangerous border flights

What began as a student’s claim of hunting radioactive waste has spiralled into a scandal linking military spies to dangerous border flights