Seoul: South Korea's defense chief has firmly denied North Korea's allegations that South Korean drones infiltrated North Korean territory in September last year and earlier this week, asserting that the drones in question were not models used by the South Korean military. North Korea had earlier claimed that South Korea violated its sovereignty with these alleged drone incursions, warning Seoul of severe repercussions for what it termed as a provocation.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back responded to these claims by stating that they are "absolutely not true." He emphasized that the photos of the drones released by North Korea do not match any models owned by the South Korean military. Ahn questioned the possibility of such incursions, recalling the lingering impact of martial law and noting that relevant South Korean military commands had not conducted flight operations on the specified dates.
Ahn proposed that the issue could be subjected to a joint investigation by both South and North Korea. North Korea's claims, issued by the spokesperson of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, included accusations of two separate incidents of drone infiltration from South Korea, while labeling Seoul as "the most hostile" adversary.
On January 4, North Korea reported capturing and tracking a drone moving northward from South Korea's Ganghwa County, Incheon, which was allegedly brought down by North Korean electronic warfare measures near the border city of Kaesong. Similarly, North Korea claimed that a drone from South Korea's Paju fell in Jangphung County, Kaesong, on September 27 after being intercepted while returning from a mission over Phyongsan County, North Hwanghae Province.
The South Korean defense ministry disclosed that President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the accusations, with relevant agencies verifying the details. Preliminary findings indicated that the South Korean military neither possesses the drone types in question nor conducted operations on the disputed dates. The ministry is also exploring the possibility of civilian involvement in the alleged drone infiltrations.
Kim Hong-cheol, the deputy defense minister for national defense policy, reiterated South Korea's commitment to avoiding provocation and pursuing efforts to reduce inter-Korean tensions and build trust. The military confirmed no detection of drones crossing into North Korea on the dates in question, although a military official mentioned challenges in tracking drones flying from South Korea to North Korea due to a focus on monitoring incoming threats.
The unification ministry, overseeing inter-Korean relations, held a meeting to deliberate on response strategies to North Korea's statement, pledging to work towards easing tensions and fostering trust between the two Koreas.