Probe widens into civilian drone flights to North Korea

A joint military and police task force investigating allegations that civilians sent drones into North Korean territory has booked three active-duty officers as suspects and carried out search and seizure operations at the Defense Intelligence Command and the National Intelligence Service.

Investigators said one of the officers, a man in his 30s, was captured on closed-circuit television footage alongside Oh, a civilian graduate student also in his 30s, at the time the drone was launched.

The task force said Monday that the three officers were booked on charges including violations of the Aviation Safety Act. The suspects include a major and a captain from the Defense Intelligence Command, as well as a captain from a regular military unit. Authorities believe the officers were involved in drone launches carried out by three civilian suspects. To support the allegations, investigators conducted search and seizure operations beginning at 9 a.m. at 18 locations, including offices and residences connected to the suspects at the Defense Intelligence Command and the National Intelligence Service.

The regular-unit officer seen on CCTV with Oh during the drone flight reportedly attended graduate school with Oh and another civilian suspect, surnamed Jang, who is accused of helping build the drone. Investigators believe the two officers from the Defense Intelligence Command were aware that the civilians had sent drones into North Korea after coming into contact with them while working to establish a media outlet as part of covert operations targeting the North.

Police are also investigating a Grade 8 employee of the National Intelligence Service on suspicion of violating the Aviation Safety Act. The task force is examining whether to apply an additional charge of aiding the enemy under the Criminal Act to the civilian suspects, including Oh and Jang.


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