South Korea's Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Saturday dismissed North Korea's accusations of drone incursions into its territory, stating the alleged drones do not match South Korean military models and proposing a joint investigation. This follows Pyongyang's warnings of retaliation over the claimed violations on January 4 and September 27, 2025.
In a statement responding to North Korea's claims reported earlier this week, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back told Yonhap News Agency the accusations are 'absolutely not true.' He noted that photos of the drones released by Pyongyang do not resemble models operated by the South Korean military, and confirmed no flight operations were conducted by the Army's ground operations command, Marine Corps, or drone units on the dates in question. 'How could that be possible when the nightmare of martial law still feels like it was just yesterday?' Ahn added, alluding to recent political turmoil.
North Korea's General Staff had claimed on January 4 an air target from South Korea's Ganghwa County was downed near Kaesong using electronic warfare, and a September 27 drone from Paju was intercepted after entering North Hwanghae Province airspace. Pyongyang released debris photos and warned of a 'high price' for the alleged sovereignty breaches.
President Lee Jae-myung has ordered a thorough investigation, with the Defense Ministry affirming no South Korean drones were involved. Ahn suggested a joint South-North probe to verify facts. The dispute heightens Korean Peninsula tensions amid Kim Jong-un's stance on inter-Korean 'hostile states' relations.
