President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday ordered a thorough investigation into a civilian's drone flights into North Korea—claimed by a graduate student last week—and likened the act to 'starting a war.' He reprimanded the defense minister for surveillance lapses and urged avoiding escalation. South Korea denies Pyongyang's sovereignty violation accusations.
In the latest development in the South Korean civilian drone flights into North Korea—first detailed when a graduate student claimed responsibility on January 16 for monitoring pollution at a Pyongsan County uranium facility—President Lee Jae-myung instructed authorities during a Tuesday Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae to conduct a thorough probe.
The suspect, an acquaintance of the student, was questioned last Friday by a joint military-police team. "It is unacceptable to send drones to the North for unlawful purposes or for a civilian to infiltrate drones into North Korean territory," Lee said, expressing skepticism about a lone civilian's involvement and speculating on possible state ties.
"From what has been revealed so far, a civilian recklessly sent a drone to North Korea, which is tantamount to starting a war," he added, comparing it to "firing a gun" at the North. Lee called for stern measures to prevent recurrence.
He sharply criticized Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back for failing to detect the drones despite advanced technology, highlighting surveillance gaps. Lee also warned against unnecessary escalation, noting risks to the economy and inter-Korean ties.
North Korea's earlier claims of incursions in September 2025 and January 4 were denied by South Korea's military, which confirmed the drones were not military models. The incident continues to stoke cross-border tensions.
