SEOUL: Investigators raided South Korea’s spy agency on Tuesday (Feb 10) as they probed possible government links to a drone incursion over the North Korean border.
Pyongyang says it shot down a surveillance drone near the industrial hub of Kaesong in January, accusing Seoul of dispatching the aircraft to glean intelligence on “important targets”.
South Korea initially denied any official involvement, with President Lee Jae Myung saying such an act would amount to “firing a shot into the North”.
A joint military-police task force said on Tuesday it was investigating three active-duty soldiers and one spy agency staffer in an effort to “thoroughly establish the truth”.
Investigators raided 18 locations of interest, including the Defense Intelligence Command and the National Intelligence Service.
The North Korean military downed a drone carrying “surveillance equipment” in early January, according to a statement published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
Photos showed the wreckage of a winged craft scattered across the ground next to a collection of grey and blue components that allegedly included cameras.
The drone had stored footage of “important targets” including border areas, a military spokesman said in the statement.
Seoul’s President Lee has taken a softer approach to North Korea than his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, who was accused of using unmanned drones to scatter propaganda leaflets over North Korea in 2024.
Lee has vowed to mend ties with North Korea by stamping out provocations, and has even suggested a rare apology may be warranted.
“I feel I should apologise, but I hesitate to say it out loud,” he said in December.
“I worry that if I do, it could be used as fodder for ideological battles or accusations of being pro-North,” he added.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/south-korea-police-raid-spy-agency-north-drone-flights-5919456
