Residents question surveillance gaps at alleged drone launch site
A view of North Korea (inside the red dotted line) seen from the top of a cemetery in Hado-ri, Songhae Township, Ganghwa County, Incheon, on Sunday / Hankook Ilbo
Hado-ri in Ganghwa County, Incheon, which North Korea claims was the launch site for a drone infiltration, remained quiet on Sunday.
One resident shook his head at the allegation. “If the North’s claim is true, it’s truly absurd,” the resident said. He questioned how a drone targeting the North could cross the border undetected in such a heavily guarded area.
“I’m anxious because our village was mentioned as if it were a target,” the resident added. “I wonder if surveillance by the South Korean and U.S. militaries is working properly.”
Barbed-wire fences line Songhae Township, Ganghwa County, Incheon, on Saturday. Hankook Ilbo
Hado-ri is a border village located just 4 to 5 kilometers from Gogeun-ri, the nearest North Korean village in Kaesong. Residents here endured anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts day and night until November 2024, just before former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Dec. 3. Banners announcing budget allocations for noise-damage support were hung throughout the village.
Residents were puzzled that the military seemed unaware of the drone until North Korea made the announcement.
“There are Marine Corps and U.S. military units nearby,” said a resident in his 70s. “It’s hard to believe they missed the drone’s flight path.”
Banners hang in Songhae Township, Ganghwa County, Incheon, on Saturday, promoting funding secured for noise broadcast damage relief. Hankook Ilbo Photo by Kim Hyung-jun
Another resident of the town expressed frustration over the authorities’ response.
“While it might be difficult to catch every drone, it’s regrettable that this wasn’t noticed even though agricultural drone use is common here,” the resident said. “Even though North Korea is a stone’s throw away, the military appears to have been dropping the ball on stopping and cracking down on unauthorized civilian drone operations, and that’s something they need to fix.”
Hankook Ilbo visited the top of a cemetery that a resident pointed out as “the spot in Hado-ri with the best view of North Korea.” The visit revealed that the area was accessible by vehicle, saw little foot traffic, and no one intervened during the climb. No banners prohibiting drone operations were visible, and the sky above was completely open toward North Korean territory.
A view of North Korea from the top of a cemetery hill in Hado-ri, Songhae Township, Ganghwa County, Incheon, on Sunday / Hankook Ilbo
Neither the military nor police had received reports of drone crossings by Sunday.
A Marine Corps official said no drone movements were identified on Jan. 4, the date alleged by North Korea. The Incheon Ganghwa Police Station also confirmed there were no reports that day. Regarding a nearby radar base, U.S. Forces Korea said it could “not confirm details regarding intelligence assets.”
Military authorities are reviewing local air-defense radar data and thermal observation device records for any drone tracks from South to North on that date. Police are analyzing CCTV footage to identify potential suspect vehicles or individuals.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.