NIS: "North Korea May Conduct Rear Attacks Using Drones"

Increase in Terror Incidents Worldwide Last Year
Continued Detection of Terrorist Group Support Cases in Korea

On the 6th of last month, soldiers from the 52nd Division and related personnel conducted an anti-terrorism drill at national critical facilities, including broadcasting stations around Yeouido, Seoul, as part of the 2024 FS/TIGER exercise. Photo by Joint Press Corps

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) stated on the 30th that "this year, it does not rule out the possibility of North Korea carrying out rear-area terrorism using unmanned aerial vehicles and powered paragliders."

The NIS explained that it expects extremist forces and terrorist organizations to become more active this year due to the aftermath of the Palestinian armed faction Hamas incident.

The NIS expressed concerns that the upcoming Paris Olympics in July could be a target for major terrorist groups, and that terrorist forces might attempt to cause social division and chaos ahead of elections in several countries, including the U.S. presidential election in November.

The NIS emphasized, "Although there have been no terrorist incidents involving terrorist groups in our country yet, cases of foreign residents supporting terrorist organizations continue to be uncovered, so caution is necessary."

In particular, the NIS pointed out the possibility of North Korea using drones and other means to carry out rear-area terrorism, explaining, "We are concerned about the emergence of advanced attack methods such as attacks targeting specific individuals or unspecified masses within our society, as well as improvised explosive devices."

The NIS analyzed that since last year, terrorist activities have increased following the end of COVID-19, and drones are being actively used as a means of terrorism.

In fact, as border controls have eased worldwide, terrorist incidents increased by 13.5% last year compared to the previous year, marking the first upward trend since 2020.

The changing terrorism paradigm due to the Hamas incident is also noteworthy.

The NIS stated, "Terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State (ISIS) attempted to expand their influence and rebuild their organizations following Hamas's surprise attack on Israel," adding, "Hamas also employed new terrorist methods, including sophisticated psychological warfare, simultaneous attacks, and a combination of old and new weapons."