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South Korea's Lee Demands Probe Into Civilian's Alleged Drone Flight to North

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a thorough investigation into a civilian accused of flying a drone into North Korean territory, calling the act unacceptable. He likened the incident to "starting a war" and reprimanded the defence minister for a failure in surveillance that allowed the drone to go undetected. The president warned that such actions could lead to an unnecessary escalation of tensions with the North, harming the economy and bilateral ties. This comes after North Korea had previously accused South Korea of sovereignty violations via drone incursions, claims which Seoul's military has denied.

Key Points: S. Korea President Lee Orders Probe Into Civilian's N. Korea Drone Flight

  • Civilian accused of flying drone into North Korea
  • Lee calls act "unacceptable" and akin to "starting a war"
  • Orders thorough investigation and stern measures
  • Reprimands defence minister for surveillance failure
  • Warns against unnecessary escalation of tensions
2 min read

South Korea: Lee calls for thorough probe into civilian suspect's alleged drone flight to North Korea

President Lee Jae Myung calls a civilian drone flight to North Korea "unacceptable" and orders a thorough investigation, warning it risks escalation.

"It is unacceptable to send drones to the North for unlawful purposes or for a civilian to infiltrate drones into North Korean territory. - Lee Jae Myung"

Seoul, Jan 20

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday instructed authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into a civilian accused of flying a drone into North Korea, calling it an unacceptable act that requires stern measures.

Lee made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting, as the civilian was questioned by a joint military-police investigation team last Friday over the alleged drone incursion.

"It is unacceptable to send drones to the North for unlawful purposes or for a civilian to infiltrate drones into North Korean territory," he said.

North Korea claimed early this month that South Korea infringed on its sovereignty with drone incursions in September last year and on January 4.

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un demanded Seoul admit to and apologise for the incident.

South Korea's military has denied such claims, saying the drones in question were not models operated by the military, Yonhap news agency reported.

Lee said it was unimaginable that a civilian alone could have sent the drone to gather intelligence from the North, noting speculations that state institutions could have been involved in the case.

"From what has been revealed so far, a civilian recklessly sent a drone to North Korea, which is tantamount to starting a war," he said, likening the act to 'firing a gun' at the North.

"We must investigate the matter thoroughly and take stern measures to ensure such acts never happen again," he added.

Lee then reprimanded Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back for failing to detect the drone activities.

"How could you not detect the drones moving back and forth despite such developments in technology and defence capabilities," he said.

"This means there is a hole in our surveillance system."

He also instructed the authorities to avoid an unnecessary escalation of tensions with the North, warning that further confrontation could harm the economy and strain inter-Korean ties.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting to see the parallels. The civilian involvement angle is suspicious. Lee's point about it being "unimaginable" for a solo act feels valid. Hope the probe is transparent and not just for political optics.
A
Ananya R
The Defence Minister getting a public reprimand is quite something! It shows accountability at the top, which is good. But comparing a drone to "starting a war" seems a bit dramatic, no? The call to avoid escalating tensions is the most sensible part.
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Vikram M
Technology is a double-edged sword. Drones are easily available now. This incident is a wake-up call for all nations, including India, to update their detection systems. Can't rely on old methods.
M
Michael C
Respectfully, while the security concern is real, the language feels overly harsh on the civilian. "Tantamount to starting a war" is a heavy charge without a full investigation. Due process should be followed before such strong statements are made.
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Priya S
The North Korean sister's demand for an apology is typical posturing. South Korea is right to deny if it wasn't them. The whole situation is so tense. Hope diplomacy wins out. We know a thing or two about tricky neighbours, don't we?

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