Seoul’s joint police-military team launched dramatic raids on Wednesday targeting three suspects linked to alleged drone flights over North Korean territory. The operation, centered in the capital, underscores escalating tensions between the two Koreas amid Pyongyang’s recent accusations.
The National Police Agency’s National Office of Investigation executed search and seizure warrants at 8 a.m., citing violations of the Aviation Safety Act. These ordinary citizens now face intense scrutiny as investigators probe claims of unauthorized drone operations near the heavily fortified border.
The probe ignited last week after North Korea accused Seoul of sending drones into its airspace on September last year and January 4 this year, breaching its sovereignty. South Korea’s military has firmly denied involvement, stating it does not operate the drone models in question.
Police maintain an open-minded approach, vowing a thorough examination of all possibilities while withholding suspect identities. The raids coincide with a bombshell media interview last Friday, where a 30-year-old graduate student surnamed Oh claimed responsibility for flying drones toward the North.
Oh, a former employee at President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office, shares an alma mater with another interrogated suspect. Together, they co-founded a drone manufacturing startup in 2024 with university backing. Oh also ran two now-defunct online news outlets focused on North Korea, accused of serving as fronts for military intelligence operations.
Investigators scoured the university-based startup during the raids, with reports of them removing a cloth-covered mystery object from a vehicle. The duo allegedly assembled drones in a campus engineering lab, fueling suspicions of a deeper plot.
North Korea’s claims, amplified by Kim Jong-un’s sister Kim Yo-jong, demand Seoul’s admission and apology. As the investigation unfolds, these raids signal South Korea’s resolve to counter espionage allegations head-on, potentially reshaping inter-Korean dynamics.