Investigators transport seized objects from the office of suspects accused of flying drones into North Korea at a university in Seoul on Wednesday. Photo by Yonhap
A joint team of police and military investigators has imposed travel bans on three civilian suspects accused of involvement in alleged drone flights to North Korea, sources said Friday.
The suspects include a graduate student in his 30s, surnamed Oh, who claimed to have flown the drones, an individual, surnamed Jang, suspected of building them, and a third person known to have worked at a drone manufacturing company set up by the other two, according to the sources.
The joint investigation was launched last week after North Korea claimed South Korea infringed on its sovereignty with drone incursions in September and on Jan. 4. South Korea’s military has denied involvement, saying it does not operate the drone models in question.
The suspects are accused of flying a drone bound for North Korea from Ganghwa County, just west of Seoul. The aircraft reportedly took pictures of a South Korean Marine Corps base as it flew across the inter-Korean border.
Investigators seek to press charges against the suspects for violating the Aviation Safety Act and the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act.
The joint team has stepped up investigative efforts after Oh claimed to have sent the drones to North Korea on the dates alleged by Pyongyang in a media interview aired last Friday
Investigators have widened the probe following revelations that Oh and Jang worked at the presidential office under former President Yoon Suk Yeol, as well as allegations that Oh operated online news outlets suspected of being linked to a military intelligence official.
The Defense Intelligence Command later confirmed the link between them, in a briefing to ruling party Rep. Boo Seung-chan, saying the online news outlets were used to issue fake identification cards to help agents conduct intelligence activities.
The command, however, said it has yet to be verified whether military intelligence officials were involved in the alleged drone flights, according to Boo’s office.
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