South Korea: Police, military launch joint probe into North Korea’s claim of drone incursion

Seoul: South Korean Police and military officials launched a joint investigation on Monday to investigate North Korea’s claims of drone incursions across the inter-Korean border.

On Saturday, the North’s military claimed that South Korea violated the North’s sovereignty by sending drones into its territory in September and on January 4, but Seoul’s defence ministry denied the claim.

The joint team of some 30 police and military officials has started investigating the alleged incursions, according to the National Police Agency’s National Office of Investigation.

South Korea’s military has denied sending the drones or operating the models allegedly found in the North, raising the possibility that private entities may have been behind them.

Police are reportedly prioritising looking into past cases involving drones similar to the model unveiled by North Korea.

Experts have rejected the drones in question were operated by the military, saying they appear to use low-cost commercial parts unfit for military purposes.

Some have said the drones appear similar to a model from Chinese drone manufacturer Skywalker Technology, Yonhap news agency reported.

Earlier in the day, the South Korean government will continue efforts to ease tensions and build trust with North Korea despite Pyongyang’s recent claim accusing Seoul of carrying out drone incursions into the country, the unification ministry said.

Unification ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho made the remarks after President Lee Jae Myung ordered last week the creation of a joint military-police investigation team to look into the alleged drone incursions.

On Sunday, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, demanded that Seoul provide a detailed explanation, a day after the North Korean military claimed that the South violated the North’s sovereignty by sending drones carrying surveillance equipment in September and on January 4.

“It’s important to continue efforts to alleviate tensions and build trust between the South and the North through prompt truth-finding by the investigation team,” the spokesperson said in a press briefing.

Yoon also reaffirmed Seoul’s stance that it has no intention of provoking or irritating North Korea.

The South Korean military has denied sending the drones on the dates claimed by the North or operating the models found in the North, raising the possibility that they may have been flown by private entities.