Drone incursion probe focuses on 2 civilians who worked in Yoon administration

People watch a news report on North Korea's claim that South Korean drones violated its airspace on a screen at Seoul Station in Seoul, Jan. 11. Yonhap

Accusations of South Korean drones entering North Korea have erupted into a political controversy after it emerged that two key suspects previously worked at the presidential office under former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

One of the suspects, a man in his 30s who publicly claimed responsibility for flying the drones, worked as a contract staffer in the presidential spokesperson's office in 2022. The other suspect, who is under investigation for assembling the drones, is also known to have served in the same office during a similar period.

A joint military-police investigative team said Sunday it plans to soon summon the man who claimed in a media interview that he sent drones across the inter-Korean border.

In an interview with local broadcaster Channel A on Friday, the man said he personally flew drones toward North Korea three times since September 2025, claiming two crashed in the North while one returned safely. He presented what he described as aerial footage and other materials that showed the drone belonged to him.

He said the flights were intended to measure radiation levels near a uranium facility in Pyongsan County, North Hwanghae Province.

The other suspect, questioned by police on Friday, is believed to have built the drones. According to sources, he purchased the airframe from an online Chinese marketplace and carried out an initial modification.

Local media reports suggest the two suspects attended the same graduate school in Seoul and in 2020 were involved in a conservative civic group focused on Korean unification.

These developments came out about a week after South Korea's military and police launched a joint investigation following accusations by North Korea that South Korean drones intruded into its airspace in September last year and again on Jan. 4.

South Korea's military immediately denied carrying out any such operations, saying it is examining the possibility of civilian involvement.

A warning sign in a border area in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, alerts visitors that the area is designated as a no-drone zone, Jan. 11. Yonhap

The spotlight has shifted to the suspects’ professional ties and political leanings, fueling speculation about a “hidden hand” behind their actions. Liberal parties are now calling for a thorough investigation into whether others were involved — calls widely seen as aimed at the former Yoon administration.

"All possibilities must remain on the table, including whether this was an isolated act or whether there were links or a mastermind behind it. The facts must be clearly established," Kim Ji-ho, spokesperson for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said Saturday.

According to the results of an internal military probe released last week, dozens of troops were allegedly mobilized in covert drone operations against North Korea during the Yoon administration between October and November 2024. Investigators suspect the missions may have been intended to provoke Pyongyang and help build justification for Yoon’s effort to impose martial law in December 2024.

As the emergence of civilian suspects in the latest drone incident is expected to accelerate the probe, the Ministry of Unification said it hoped a swift and thorough investigation would promptly uncover the truth and help ease public anxiety over the case.

"Based on the investigation's findings, we expect relevant authorities to take appropriate follow-up measures without delay," the ministry said in a statement Friday.

The remarks appeared to be a response to criticism from the conservative People Power Party, which has denounced the joint investigation as a “submissive” approach toward North Korea and warned that it could undermine military operational authority.