President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret on Monday over drone flights by individuals into North Korea that caused unnecessary military tension with Pyongyang. He made the remarks during a cabinet meeting after prosecutors indicted three people last week for flying drones there between September and January. The indicted include a graduate student in his 30s, a National Intelligence Service employee and a military officer.
President Lee Jae Myung said during the cabinet meeting, "Although this was not an act by our government, I express regret to the North Korean side over the unnecessary military tension caused by such reckless behavior." This marks the first time he has expressed regret directly to North Korea, though he has criticized the drone incursions on several occasions previously.
Lee stressed that civilians are prohibited from unauthorized acts that could provoke North Korea, and even actions necessary for national strategy must be handled with utmost caution. "It is deeply regrettable that individuals carried out such provocative acts toward North Korea on their own," he said, calling them "unacceptable."
He addressed anxiety among residents near border areas and urged relevant ministries to revise regulations and take swift measures to prevent recurrences. "We need to carefully consider who such actions are really meant to benefit," Lee said.
Since taking office in June 2025, Lee has extended an olive branch to resume dialogue with Pyongyang, but North Korea rebuffed those overtures, formally describing South Korea as the "most hostile state" in a parliamentary speech last month. Amid a shifting global landscape, he emphasized Seoul's responsible role in maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula.
