As investigations continue into the graduate student suspected of flying drones to North Korea, it has come to light that the South Korean military provided funding for media operations to this individual. Authorities are now scrutinizing whether these funds were merely support for media activities or if they were covertly financing drone infiltration operations.
According to police reports on Thursday, the joint military-police investigation task force (TF) has been focusing on uncovering the full extent of the drone incident. They have questioned the graduate student, identified only by his surname Oh, twice on January 24 and 27.
The TF has already imposed travel bans on three suspects, including Oh, and has conducted raids on their residences and offices to accelerate the investigation.
The other two suspects are the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the drone manufacturing company Estel Engineering, surnamed Jang, and an individual surnamed Kim, who has been active as a director specializing in North Korean affairs.
Sources indicate that the TF is not only investigating the circumstances of the drone infiltration but also examining the connection between the suspects and the military funding provided under the guise of media operations.
Recently, an official from the Defense Intelligence Command reportedly briefed a ruling party member of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee, describing Oh as a cooperating agent who was recruited and assigned tasks. It was also revealed that Jang received funds from military intelligence for operating two media outlets (NK Monitor and Global Insight).
However, there is no confirmation that the military provided these funds specifically for North Korean drone infiltration. As a result, some argue that the TF should focus on determining the true nature of the funding.
A source from the Intelligence Committee stated that there are various allegations, but nothing has been proven yet. The key question is whether the money they received from military intelligence was intended for drone operations or genuinely for media activities.
There is a possibility that the investigation may extend to the intelligence officers who conducted these covert operations. Given the secretive nature of such work, questions are being raised about the suitability of Oh as a cooperating agent, considering his high-profile activities in various organizations.
Oh has been active in conservative circles since his college days, participating in competitions organized by right-wing groups and serving as an executive in youth conservative organizations. In 2015, he won the grand prize in the 1st Libertarianism Poetry Contest hosted by the Korea Center for Free Enterprise, and the following year, he won the top award in the 1st Syngman Rhee Poetry Contest.
He was also notably active in public, serving as the president of the conservative student group Korea University Student Forum around 2018. In 2020, he even appeared on the YouTube channel of former Yonsei University Professor Ryu Seok-chun, who stirred controversy with claims that comfort women were prostitutes.
Commenting on this, an Intelligence Committee source said that it’s as if they assigned a task that should have been handled discreetly to incredibly outspoken individuals. This goes against the basic principles of covert operations.