A joint military-police investigation team has uncovered evidence that a key suspect in the North Korean drone incursion case engaged in financial transactions with an employee of the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
Sources from law enforcement and the NIS report that on February 4, the task force (TF) interrogated Mr. A, a Level 8 administrative employee of the NIS, as a suspect in violations of the Aviation Safety Act and the Military Installations Act.
The TF has confirmed that Mr. A provided funds to Mr. O, a graduate student in his 30s who is under investigation for illegally sending drones to North Korea since September last year.
The ongoing investigation is probing allegations that Mr. O and his associates received support from military and intelligence agencies while conducting drone operations to North Korea. This recent summons appears to be part of the effort to shed light on these suspicions.
In response to the allegations, the NIS disclosed that after becoming aware of the financial transactions, they conducted an internal investigation. The audit revealed that Mr. A lent Mr. O a total of 5.05 million KRW (approximately 3,445 USD) across 16 instances from 2022 to January 2026, with 3.65 million KRW (about 2,490 USD) having been repaid.
The NIS emphasized that all funds lent were from Mr. A’s personal resources. They further clarified that Mr. A does not hold a position authorizing him to use NIS budget for intelligence operations or information gathering, nor has he ever done so.
The intelligence agency has pledged full cooperation with the police investigation to definitively determine whether their employee is linked to the drone incident.
During questioning by the TF, Mr. A reportedly claimed that he lent money to Mr. O for living expenses and only learned about the drone’s flight to North Korea after the fact.
The investigation has revealed that the drone that crashed in North Korea was manufactured by a company co-founded by Mr. O and Mr. J, both alumni of the same university. It has also come to light that Mr. A is a fellow alumnus of the same institution as Mr. O.