South Korea’s Ministry of Defense announced that authorities have launched an investigation into the possibility that civilians may have operated drones which North Korea claimed violated its airspace.
اضافة اعلان
President Lee Jae-myung, speaking on Saturday, pledged a swift investigation, stating that if civilians indeed directed the drones, it would constitute a "serious crime" threatening South Korea’s security and peace on the Korean Peninsula. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, quoting Minister An Gyu-bak, said South Korea is ready to conduct a joint investigation with North Korea, although no formal proposal has yet been submitted.
Previous attempts by President Lee’s government to initiate dialogue with the North have gone unanswered.
The North Korean military accused South Korea of “provocative actions” by sending drones, claiming it shot them down and revealed parts of the aircraft along with aerial images captured by them.
South Korea’s military denied using or operating the drone model cited by the North on the date of the alleged incursion and stressed that it had no intention of provoking the North.
Tensions frequently escalate between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol faced trial on Monday for allegedly provoking North Korea in 2024 as a pretext to impose martial law later that year, and he faces a separate trial for rebellion linked to attempts to enforce martial law.
