North Korea claimed on January 10 that it had forced down a South Korean drone that violated its airspace in the Kaesong area on January 4.
The state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun published a statement from the Korean People’s Army General Staff spokesperson, titled, South Korea Must Face Consequences for Its Provocative Violation of Sovereignty by Drone.
The spokesperson detailed that on January 4, their border air defense units detected and tracked an aerial target moving north from the Hado-ri area in Ganghwa County, Incheon. After allowing it to tactically intrude 8 kilometers into North Korean airspace, they attacked it with specialized electronic warfare assets, forcing it down 1,200 meters (about 3,937 feet) from Hill 101.5 in Muksan-ri, Kaepung District, Kaesong City.
The statement revealed that the downed drone was equipped with surveillance gear. Relevant intelligence and investigative agencies collected the wreckage and analyzed the drone’s flight plan, history, and recorded footage.
The analysis showed that the drone took off around 12:50 p.m. on January 4 from the Ganghwa area in Incheon. It flew a total of 156 kilometers (about 97 miles) at altitudes between 100 to 300 meters (about 328 to 984 feet), traveling at 50 km/h (about 31 mph) for 3 hours and 10 minutes. Its mission was to capture images of key North Korean targets while flying over Kaesong, North Hwanghae Province’s Pyongsan and Geumcheon counties, before returning through Kaesong, Panmunjom, and Jangpung County, ultimately reaching Jeokseong in South Korea’s Paju City.
The spokesperson noted that the drone’s recording device contained two video files, 6 minutes 59 seconds and 6 minutes 58 seconds long, captured before the crash.
The statement asserted that this footage clearly proves the drone’s intrusion into North Korean airspace for reconnaissance purposes. It criticized the rogue regime in Seoul for continuing drone provocations near the border even after the change in government.
Referencing a similar incident from September last year, the spokesperson stated that both drones were fixed-wing, small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of flying for up to 6 hours at altitudes below 500 meters (about 1,640 feet). Equipped with high-resolution optical cameras, they were clearly designed for surveillance and reconnaissance.
The spokesperson emphasized that the drone’s communication and navigation systems, pre-programmed flight plan, recorded flight history, and captured footage all prove it was specifically designed and deployed for aerial reconnaissance.
The statement accused South Korea of hypocrisy, claiming that it talks about improving relations while continuing provocative actions. It labeled South Korea as North Korea’s most hostile enemy, vowing to destroy it if attacked.
The spokesperson warned that South Korean warmongers would face consequences for their unacceptable actions and that South Korean authorities cannot escape responsibility for escalating tensions.
The newspaper included photos of the crashed drone in the Muksan-ri area, images of its surveillance equipment and various onboard devices, footage captured over the Kaepung District, and records of the drone’s flight history.
