Military officials have partially confirmed their connection to a graduate student suspected of launching drones into North Korea multiple times. The military and police are currently investigating the individual and related parties, implementing travel bans and focusing on establishing the facts of the case.
On Janaury 23, News1 reported that a Defense Intelligence Command representative recently briefed Democratic Party lawmaker Boo Seung-chan of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee, explaining that they had recruited a graduate student in his 30s, identified only as Mr. Oh, as an operational collaborator and assigned him tasks.
According to sources, military officials told the lawmaker’s office that they had planned to help Mr. Oh establish a media company, providing him with a relevant title for future intelligence activities.
This admission suggests the military acknowledges some connection between the drone incident participants and its intelligence operations. However, further investigation is needed to determine if the military was directly involved in the drone incursions.
The joint military-police task force has issued travel bans on three suspects connected to the case, including Mr. Oh, who claimed responsibility for sending drones to North Korea.
The other two suspects are Mr. Jang, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of drone manufacturer Estelle Engineering, and Mr. Kim, who has been serving as the company’s director for North Korean affairs.
Previously, the task force questioned Mr. Jang on January 16 and conducted searches of the residences and offices of all three suspects on January 21.
Law enforcement has reportedly charged the suspects with illegally operating unmanned aerial vehicles, violating aviation safety laws, and filming domestic military installations with drones, which breaches laws protecting military bases and facilities.
Earlier, during a broadcast on January 16, Mr. Oh claimed he had launched drones into North Korea on three occasions to measure radiation contamination levels from a uranium plant in Pyongsan County.