Lee urges probe into North Korea drone incident

President Lee Jae-myung said at a news conference on Jan. 21 that a recent incident involving a civilian drone entering North Korea had given Pyongyang a pretext to question the credibility of his administration. He called the matter serious and said it required a thorough investigation.

Lee suggested that North Korea may have suspected that, despite a leadership change in South Korea, drones had once again crossed the border. He said Pyongyang could have seen the incident as inconsistent, given Seoul’s public emphasis on dialogue, communication, cooperation, peace, and stability while allowing civilian actors to carry out such flights.

Addressing criticism that he was overly reflecting North Korea’s perspective, Lee said he was not siding with Pyongyang. Rather, he was trying to view the situation from the other side. He added that meaningful dialogue is only possible by understanding the position of one’s counterpart.

On advancing North Korea’s denuclearization, Lee stressed the need for a pragmatic approach. He said it was unrealistic to expect North Korea to voluntarily abandon its nuclear weapons and described its nuclear arsenal as an undeniable reality. Lee noted that while clinging to the ideal of denuclearization and ignoring the facts, North Korea has continued producing nuclear material sufficient to build about 10 to 20 weapons a year. He added that he has repeatedly told world leaders that even freezing North Korea’s nuclear capabilities at their current level would be a meaningful achievement.

Lee said the situation on the Korean Peninsula remains so fragile that avoiding war must be the priority, leaving unification discussions for later. He said that while unification may need to be set aside for now, the two Koreas must work toward peaceful coexistence. He emphasized the importance of restoring the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement to prevent accidental clashes and to build political and military trust.

On improving ties with China, Lee reiterated a proposal he raised during his state visit to Beijing to pursue joint naval drills in the Yellow Sea. He said South Korea and China should also conduct joint search-and-rescue exercises in the area under discussion, describing such cooperation as a key step toward building trust in diplomatic and security affairs.

Turning to relations with Japan, Lee said excessive competition between the two countries has created an unfavorable environment. He said diplomatic engagement could play a significant role in improving economic conditions and stressed his intention to focus on South Korea-Japan economic cooperation. His remarks reaffirmed a two-track diplomatic approach that separates historical disputes from economic collaboration in pursuit of national interests. Observers also interpreted his comments as signaling a more active push for shuttle diplomacy going forward.


Hyo-Ju Son hjson@donga.com