A joint military-police task force (TF) is currently investigating allegations that civilian suspects received support from the Korea Defence Intelligence Command (KDIC) for drone manufacturing activities linked to the recent North Korean drone incursion.
At a routine press conference held at the National Police Agency headquarters in Seoul on Monday, a police spokesperson stated that they’re conducting a comprehensive investigation into all related allegations. However, as this is an ongoing matter, it cannot provide specific details at this time.
To date, law enforcement has interrogated three civilian suspects six times: the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a drone manufacturing company, the company’s director of North Korea affairs, and a graduate student. Additionally, five witness interviews have been conducted.
The CEO co-founded the drone company Estelle Engineering with the graduate student. The latter previously claimed on a broadcast that he had launched drones three times to measure radiation levels from a uranium facility in North Korea’s Pyongsan County.
With backing from their alma mater, Seoul’s Sejong University, the two established their drone company in September 2023. They later brought on the third suspect as director of North Korea affairs to spearhead their operations.
The joint task force is investigating these individuals for alleged violations of aviation safety laws by illegally flying drones in September and November of last year and January of this year. They are also under scrutiny for potentially breaching laws protecting military installations by photographing domestic military facilities.
When asked about potential espionage charges, the police spokesperson replied that it is exploring all possibilities to uncover the truth, but added that it can’t comment further on specific charges at this time.
Addressing criticism over the handling of the Yeoju drone incident last November, including failure to recover flight devices, the official stated that the task force is reviewing these concerns, and noted that they have not received any requests from prosecutors for additional investigation at this point.
In a separate case, the National Office of Investigation’s Gadeokdo Terror Incident TF is probing the alleged plot against the President. They are analyzing court records, verdicts, and documents related to the non-prosecution of an earlier insurrection investigation. The task force is also interviewing Busan Police Agency personnel as witnesses.
The spokesperson added that they have obtained some materials from the National Intelligence Service regarding the terror incident classification and are working to secure additional information.