Two Suspects in Korean Drone Incident Previously Worked in Presidential Office

Two suspects linked to the incident of Korean drones entering North Korean airspace previously worked in the presidential office during former President Yoon Suk-yeol's administration. According to a report by Yonhap News Agency, suspect A served as an inspector in the spokesperson's office under President Yoon. Suspect B, who claims to be involved in the drone operation, also worked at the Yongsan Presidential Office during the same period. Both suspects are in their 30s and are ordinary civilians.

A and B attended the same private university in Seoul and were classmates. In 2024, with the support of their alma mater, they co-founded a drone manufacturing company, with A as the CEO and B as a director. Previously, in 2020, they organized a youth group focused on Korean unification.

The joint military-police investigation team believes that suspect A manufactured the drones involved in the incident. Consequently, he was summoned for questioning on Friday, January 16th. Additionally, A was referred to authorities last November for operating drones without permission in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province, violating the Aviation Security Act. The model of the drone used in that incident is reportedly identical to the one involved in the recent event.

During questioning, A stated that he only conducted experiments on drones produced by his laboratory and denied any espionage activities. The investigation team has thus far found no evidence suggesting espionage motives. B maintains that A independently developed the drones and was not involved in their operation.

The suspects claim that the purpose of launching the drones was to measure radiation and heavy metal pollution near North Korea's Uranium enrichment facility in the Daeseong River area. They aimed to verify whether the North Korean nuclear wastewater alleged to have flowed into the western sea last year was accurately reported by the government.

Authorities are investigating whether A and B collaborated on the drone operation, focusing on their specific motives and the sequence of events. Some members of the ruling party have raised questions about whether the suspects intentionally provoked North Korea to create a pretext for escalation.

Former President Yoon Suk-yeol has been accused of ordering a drone commando unit to infiltrate Pyongyang in October 2024, allegedly to justify emergency martial law by provoking the North. He is currently facing trial on charges of aiding the enemy.

The North Korean People's Army General Staff issued a statement on January 10th, claiming that South Korean drones entered North Korean airspace twice—once in September last year and again on January 4th. Pyongyang warned of consequences and released over 20 photos purporting to show downed drones, along with images of drone wreckage painted in camouflage colors.

However, the South Korean military denies any involvement, stating that the drones appear to be assembled from civilian parts and differ significantly from military-grade drones. In response, a joint military-police investigation team of about 30 members was formed by the Ministry of National Defense and the police.