South Korea investigates three civilians for unauthorised drone flights to North Korea, prompting government regret and plans for stricter penalties to ease tensions.
SEOUL: South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young confirmed that three civilians had sent drones into North Korea on four separate occasions since President Lee Jae Myung took office last year.
The flights occurred between September 2025 and January, according to an ongoing joint police and military investigation. Minister Chung stated that drones crashed inside North Korea twice, corroborating claims previously made by Pyongyang.
On the two other attempts, the drones returned to the South Korean border city of Paju after flying over North Korea’s Kaesong. The three civilians are under investigation for violating aviation safety laws and for allegedly benefiting an enemy state.
READ MORE: North Korea warns of ‘terrible response’ to South Korean drone incursions
Some officials from South Korea’s military intelligence agency and the National Intelligence Service are also being probed for alleged involvement with the group. “We express official regret to the North,” Chung said, adding the government was taking the incidents very seriously.
North Korea had reacted angrily to the intrusions, which it first reported last month following an earlier incident in September. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un, warned Seoul that such provocations could lead to “terrible situations.”
Chung also expressed regret over a separate, larger-scale drone operation conducted under the previous administration. He described the sending of 18 drones on 11 occasions as an “extremely dangerous incident.”
That operation, directed by ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, allegedly targeted sensitive areas including airspace over the Workers’ Party office. South Korean prosecutors have indicted Yoon on charges including aiding an enemy state.
They accuse him and his military commanders of ordering the covert operation to raise tensions and justify a martial law decree. Yoon denies any wrongdoing.
In response to the civilian flights, the government plans to introduce stricter penalties. These could include jail terms of up to one year or fines of 10 million won (approximately RM30,000).
A new clause will also be added to the inter-Korean relations development act to explicitly prohibit actions that heighten tensions on the peninsula. The moves aim to prevent further unauthorised incursions and stabilise relations.
The Sun Malaysia
