South Korean authorities have implemented overseas travel restrictions on three civilians as part of an ongoing investigation into unauthorized drone operations over North Korean territory, escalating tensions between the neighboring nations. The joint military-police investigative unit announced the measures Friday amid North Korea’s threats of retaliation against alleged surveillance drone incursions in September and January.
The primary individual under investigation, identified only by his surname Oh, reportedly admitted to South Korean media that he deployed drones to monitor radiation levels at a North Korean uranium facility. While the investigation team confirmed Oh’s inclusion among those banned from international travel, they declined to provide identifying details about the two other civilians under scrutiny, confirming only that one had been summoned for questioning within the past week.
According to domestic media reports, the three individuals previously collaborated at a drone manufacturing company, with Oh and another suspect having served as contract employees within former conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration in 2022. The investigation team has not verified these employment connections.
The escalating situation threatens diplomatic efforts by South Korea’s current liberal government to revive stalled negotiations with North Korea. President Lee Jae Myung, who assumed office in June following Yoon’s dismissal over controversial martial law impositions, has called for comprehensive investigation, warning that unnecessary tensions could adversely affect the national economy.
Analysts suggest North Korea’s drone allegations may represent a strategic effort to intensify anti-South Korean sentiment ahead of an anticipated Workers’ Party congress in late January or February. This gathering, the first in five years, could potentially see leader Kim Jong Un formally declare a hostile “two-state” system on the Korean Peninsula.
The Korean neighbors have maintained no public dialogue since 2019, with drone incursions representing a persistent source of conflict. North Korea previously accused South Korea of deploying propaganda-dropping drones over Pyongyang in October 2024, while South Korea has documented numerous North Korean drone crossings throughout the past decade. In December 2022, South Korea responded to alleged North Korean drone incursions with warning shots, fighter jet deployments, and surveillance drone flights over border areas.