South Korean president warns sending drones into North Korea akin to starting war

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung warned his countrymen against flying drones north of the border, comparing it to “starting a war”.

Announcing an investigation into reports of South Koreans sending drones into the neighbouring country, the president said at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that such actions raised serious security and legal concerns and increased regional tensions.

Police in Seoul said they were questioning a civilian as a suspect after North Korea reported a drone arriving into its airspace from the south earlier this month. North Korean officials released photos of the drone’s debris and aerial pictures of buildings it had allegedly captured on the way in.

In the aftermath, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un, urged Seoul to investigate the recent drone incidents and warned that any provocations would end in a terrible situation.

open image in gallery

Addressing the neighbour’s concerns around drone activity, Mr Lee said that “it should not happen for a civilian to send a drone to North Korea for an illegal purpose”.

Such action was “akin to starting a war”, Mr Lee warned, and creating unnecessary confrontation with North Korea could negatively impact his country.

The president said the unauthorised flights into the North could trigger a military clash.

He criticised defence minister Ahn Gyu Baek for the failure to detect the drone activity and asked for strengthening surveillance to prevent further incidents.

“How did we fail to check that a drone had been flown to the North?” Mr Lee asked.

He warned that any South Korean found guilty of flying a drone north of the border, they could be criminally charged for provoking Pyongyang.

Police, meanwhile, identified the suspect they were questioning as a graduate student in his thirties surnamed Oh, reported the South China Morning Post.

He reportedly told the police he had flown drones into North Korea three times since September 2025.

The student claimed he had worked in impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol’s office and allegedly received financial support from the country’s defence intelligence command, local media reported.

The Independent could not verify the claims.

open image in gallery

Mr Lee said officials were looking into claims that the military intelligence command likely supported the student in his act.

A defence ministry spokesperson said a joint task force had been formed with police for a “swift and thorough investigation”, the SCMP reported.

The latest drone incursion puts a fresh obstacle in Mr Lee’s attempt to mend ties with the neighbouring country.

Pyongyang has not responded to any calls for dialogue with the South since Mr Kim defined the two Koreas as "hostile" nations at the end of 2023.