Possibility of North Korean Incursion by Civilian Drone... President Lee Orders "Thorough Investigation"

Joint Military-Police Investigation Launched,
Inter-Korean Joint Probe Also Discussed

Following President Lee Jaemyung’s direct call for a “thorough investigation” regarding North Korea’s claim of drone intrusion, the Ministry of National Defense and other relevant ministries have released initial findings and launched a joint military-police investigation. Within the government and the ruling party, some are also discussing the possibility of a joint inter-Korean investigation to prevent recurrence.

According to the Presidential Office on January 12, meetings were held for two consecutive days over the past weekend to determine the circumstances surrounding North Korea’s drone intrusion claim. On January 10, the National Security Council (NSC) convened under the chairmanship of Kim Hyunjong, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office. The outcome of the meeting was that the South Korean military did not operate any drones on the dates mentioned by North Korea. On January 11, the National Security Office gathered officials from the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the police to discuss countermeasures. The National Security Office stated, “The government once again confirms that it has no intention to provoke or agitate the North.”

Yonhap News Agency

Previously, a spokesperson for the General Staff Department of the North Korean military claimed that South Korea had sent drones across the border in September last year and again on the 4th of this month, and that North Korea had shot them down. The drone shown in the photos released by North Korea closely resembles the ‘Skywalker Titan 2160,’ a civilian drone manufactured by China’s Skywalker Technology. Depending on specifications, this model is sold online for approximately 150 to 600 US dollars (about 210,000 to 870,000 Korean won).

Kim Hongcheol, Director of Policy at the Ministry of National Defense, stated, “Our military does not possess such drones, nor did we operate any drones during the timeframes announced by North Korea.” Experts note that since the South Korean military is well-equipped with surveillance assets to monitor the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and the front-line areas, there would be no need to conduct reconnaissance with a civilian-grade drone.

The Presidential Office is keeping open the possibility that the drone in question may have been operated by civilians. On January 10, President Lee stated, “If true, this would constitute a serious crime threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and national security,” and ordered a thorough investigation by a joint military-police task force. The National Security Office added, “The government will continue to take practical measures and efforts to ease tensions and build trust between the two Koreas.”

Meanwhile, some within the government and the ruling party are discussing a joint inter-Korean investigation. Park Jie-won, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea and former Director of the National Intelligence Service, said, “It is necessary for both Koreas to conduct a joint investigation for the sake of peace, and this could naturally create an opportunity for inter-Korean contact.”

However, it remains uncertain whether North Korea, which has even severed communication lines with the South, will respond to such a proposal. Hong Min, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, analyzed, “For North Korea, which seeks to institutionalize its adversarial relationship with the South, agreeing to a joint investigation could raise concerns about reverting to the previous framework that defined inter-Korean relations as a special relationship.”