A civilian accused of sending a drone to North Korea was arrested Thursday, as Seoul District Court issued the warrant over concerns that the suspect may destroy evidence and flee from justice.
The suspect surnamed Oh, a graduate student in his 30s, is among seven people being investigated for sending the drone over the inter-Korean border. The drone took off from Incheon, and was set to fly over Kaesong and Pyeongsan-gun in North Korea-controlled territory before returning to Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
Oh, the first of the seven to be arrested, is believed to have led the operation. He claimed that he wanted to use the data from the drone in his study and business, switching from his earlier position that the surveillance was to check the radiation figures from uranium plants in the North.
Last month, North Korea accused the South Korean military of sending the drones twice, in September 2025 and in January. The drones were shot down by the North, and were discovered near Kaeseong.
A joint investigation by the military and police believe that Oh sent the drones Northward four times, for financial gain related to his drone business. The task force said that Oh flying the drones had resulted in Pyongyang condemning South Korea, and subsequent tension in the Korean Peninsula.
He is facing charges of benefitting the enemy, along with violation of the Aviation Safety Act and the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act.
The news of the South Korean drone in North Korea came amid controversy surrounding a 2024 drone operation by the South Korean military. An investigation found that the drones were sent by the military as North Korea claimed, and then-President Yoon Suk yeol and several former military commanders are on trial for benefitting the enemy in relation to the operation.
The special prosecutor in charge of the investigation argues that the drone operation had been made in preparation for Yoon's Dec. 3 martial law declaration. It says the aim was to induce an attack from the North to justify martial law.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
