Military and National Intelligence Service, Presidential Office Filming Truth Dispute War

Military "No Possibility" VS National Intelligence Service "Cannot Rule Out"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The military maintained the position that it is unlikely that a North Korean drone filmed the Presidential Office. This contradicts the National Intelligence Service's statement the previous day that "the possibility of filming cannot be ruled out."

A Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official said on the 6th, "I understand that the NIS reported with the same stance as us, and it is just a matter of emphasis in their statement," adding, "There is no possibility that the Presidential Office was filmed. Even if it was filmed, there would have been no meaningful information," reiterating the existing position.

The day before, the National Intelligence Service stated in a report to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee that "the possibility of filming cannot be ruled out," presenting a stance different from the military's, which said, "Considering the distance, altitude, and the enemy's capabilities, it is still assessed that filming (the Presidential Office, etc.) is not possible."

During the Blue House era, the P-73 zone was set with an 8.3 km radius, including Zone A with a 3.7 km radius centered on the Blue House and Zone B with a 4.6 km radius. After the move to the Yongsan Presidential Office, the zone was changed to a 3.7 km radius centered around the Presidential Office, and Zone B was eliminated.

Until now, the Ministry of National Defense and the JCS have consistently denied the possibility of North Korean drones infiltrating the P-73 zone. On the 29th of last month, the JCS also announced to the media, "We inform you that enemy drones did not violate P-73." However, on the 5th, the JCS changed its stance, stating, "According to the investigation by the JCS Combat Readiness Inspection Office, the flight path presumed to be of a small enemy drone that entered Seoul appears to have passed through the northern edge of P-73."

However, it is estimated that the drone flew at an altitude of about 2 to 3 km above Seoul, making it highly likely that the Yongsan Presidential Office, the Ministry of National Defense, and the JCS headquarters were sufficiently filmed.

It remains unclear whether the North Korean drone that temporarily entered P-73 was equipped with cameras or other equipment. It was not shot down until it returned to North Korea, and as a result, the military failed to capture the drone.

However, considering that the North Korean drone that crashed in a mountain in Inje-gun, Gangwon Province, in June 2017 and was found by local residents had a camera that took about 550 photos of areas including the site of the U.S. THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system, and that four North Korean drones found consecutively in March-April and September 2014 also produced aerial photos of the Blue House and major military facilities, photo shooting is certainly possible.

The North Korean drone that entered P-73 this time is a small drone with a wingspan of less than 2 meters, similar in size (wingspan 1.9?2.5 m, fuselage length 1.2?2 m) to those found domestically in 2014 and 2017. For this reason, the general assessment inside and outside the military is that the drone that entered P-73 this time likely carried cameras or other filming equipment.