Seoul: South Korea will take action based on the results of its investigation into drone incursions alleged by North Korea, stated Unification Minister Chung Dong-young. The remarks were made during a policy briefing by agencies affiliated with the ministry, following demands from Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, for Seoul to apologize for violating North Korea's sovereignty.

According to Yonhap News Agency, North Korea's military accused South Korea of sending surveillance drones across the border in September and on January 4, claiming a violation of the country's sovereignty. In response, South Korea launched an investigation into these allegations, considering the possibility of civilian involvement, and denied responsibility for the drones found in the North.

Unification Minister Chung noted that a military-police fact-finding team is conducting the investigation swiftly, and the government will act accordingly once results are available. He also criticized North Korea's use of media to deliver messages related to the drone allegations rather than engaging through inter-Korean communication channels, calling it "extremely unnatural and abnormal."

Chung emphasized the importance of restoring dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang, expressing hope for the resumption of inter-Korean contact networks and channels. Additionally, he indicated that Seoul might issue an apology for drones allegedly sent to North Korea in 2024 under former President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration, depending on the outcome of a related court ruling.

Former President Yoon faces trial on charges of benefiting the enemy over the alleged military drone dispatch to Pyongyang in 2024, purportedly intended to provoke the North and potentially justify declaring martial law. Minister Chung stated that the government would act once the truth is revealed, referencing a past apology by the North Korean leader for the 2020 shooting of a South Korean government employee in the Yellow Sea.