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South Korea Raids Suspects in Alleged Drone Flights to North Korea

South Korean authorities raided the homes and offices of three civilian suspects accused of flying drones into North Korea. The joint police-military investigation was launched after North Korea accused Seoul of sovereignty violations in September and January. One suspect, a graduate student, publicly claimed responsibility for the flights in a media interview. The suspects are linked to a university-supported drone startup and had previously worked at the presidential office under former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Key Points: South Korea Raids Suspects Over Alleged Drone Flights to North

  • Raids target three civilian suspects
  • Investigation follows North Korean accusations
  • Suspects linked to university drone startup
  • Military denies operating the drones
  • Kim Yo-jong demanded apology from Seoul
2 min read

South Korea: Homes, offices of three civilian suspects raided over alleged drone flights to North Korea

South Korean police and military raid homes and offices of three civilians suspected of flying drones into North Korea, escalating cross-border tensions.

"conduct a thorough investigation while keeping all possibilities open - National Police Agency"

Seoul, Jan 21

A joint team of South Korean police and military investigators on Wednesday raided the homes and offices of three civilian suspects accused of flying drones into North Korea, police said.

The team carried out search and seizure warrants against the three civilian suspects on charges of violating the Aviation Safety Act at 8 a.m., according to the National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation.

The joint investigation was launched last week after North Korea claimed South Korea infringed on its sovereignty with drone incursions in September and on January 4. South Korea's military has denied involvement, saying it does not operate the drone models in question.

Police said they would conduct a thorough investigation while keeping all possibilities open but declined to identify the suspects.

The raid comes after a 30-something graduate student, surnamed Oh, claimed to have flown the drones himself in a media interview aired last Friday. The team also questioned a civilian suspect over the alleged incursions the same day.

The two, who attended the same university in Seoul, were found to have worked at the presidential office under former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and to have co-founded a drone manufacturing startup with university support in 2024.

Oh also operated two online news outlets focused on North Korea, which have now been shut down after they faced accusations of serving as front companies for covert operations of a military intelligence agent, Yonhap news agency reported.

As part of Wednesday's raid, investigators searched the startup set up in the university but not the news outlets' offices.

The two suspects reportedly manufactured the drone at an engineering lab of their university. Investigators were seen transferring an unidentified object covered in white cloth, presumably from the lab, to their car.

Earlier this month, North Korea claimed South Korea had violated its sovereignty through drone incursions in September last year and on January 4, with Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un, demanding that Seoul admit to and apologise for the incidents.

South Korea's military denied the claims, saying the drones in question were not operated by the military.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The connection to the former president's office and a university startup is troubling. Were they acting alone or was there some unofficial backing? South Korea needs to get to the bottom of this quickly before tensions escalate further.
A
Aman W
As an engineering student myself, this is a cautionary tale. University labs should be for innovation, not for building devices that can start international incidents. The professors and administration must have better oversight.
S
Sarah B
The suspect gave a media interview before being raided? That's bold, or perhaps foolish. It feels like there's more to this story—maybe they wanted attention or to send a message. The whole situation is like a spy thriller.
V
Vikram M
While the act is irresponsible, I have a respectful criticism of the article. It focuses heavily on the South Korean response but doesn't explore *why* these civilians did it. Were they activists, provocateurs, or just reckless tech enthusiasts? Understanding motive is key.
K
Kavya N
North Korea's Kim Yo-jong is quick to demand apologies. The timing is always suspicious. This incident, whether by military or civilians, gives them a propaganda tool. Hope it doesn't derail any peace efforts in the region.

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