Military-Police TF Raids Defense Intelligence Command and NIS over Alleged Involvement in UAV Infiltration

Three Defense Intelligence Command officers including a major, and one NIS employee booked
General aiding-the-enemy charges added to three existing civilian suspects

The joint military-police investigation authorities probing the North Korean drone incursion case have launched a compulsory investigation into the Defense Intelligence Command and the National Intelligence Service, additionally booking active-duty soldiers and National Intelligence Service employees as suspects.

As the joint military-police investigation task force probing North Korea's claim of drone incursions into South Korea conducted searches of the homes and offices of three civilian suspects on the 21st, police officers were moving seized items from an engineering building at a university in Seoul that the suspects Mr. Jang and Mr. Oh had attended. Photo by Yonhap News

The joint military-police investigation task force (TF) announced that starting from 9:00 a.m. on the 10th, it has been executing search and seizure warrants at 18 locations, including the Defense Intelligence Command and the National Intelligence Service. The task force is investigating three civilian suspects, including Mr. Oh, a man in his 30s who is a graduate student identified as the main culprit who sent drones into North Korea, and officials of a drone manufacturing company. In addition to the existing charge of violating the Aviation Safety Act, they are also being investigated on the additional charge of the general crime of benefiting the enemy under the Criminal Act. The crime of benefiting the enemy is a serious offense that is established when a person harms the military interests of the Republic of Korea or provides military benefits to an enemy state (North Korea), and the conditions for its application are strict.

The task force believes that three active-duty soldiers, including one major affiliated with the Defense Intelligence Command, and one National Intelligence Service employee were involved in this drone infiltration process, and has booked them as suspects on charges of violating the Aviation Safety Act. A task force official said, "We plan to thoroughly uncover the truth of the drone case through analysis of the seized materials and a rigorous investigation of the suspects."