People watch a TV news report on North Korea’s claims of drone incursions by South Korea being aired at Seoul Station in central Seoul on Sunday. Photo by Yonhap
Police and military officials launched a joint investigation Monday to investigate North Korea‘s claims of drone incursions across the inter-Korean border.
On Saturday, the North’s military claimed that South Korea violated the North’s sovereignty by sending drones into its territory in September and on Jan. 4, but Seoul’s defense ministry denied the claim.
The joint team of some 30 police and military officials has started investigating the alleged incursions, according to the National Police Agency’s National Office of Investigation.
South Korea’s military has denied sending the drones or operating the models allegedly found in the North, raising the possibility that private entities may have been behind them.
Police are reportedly prioritizing looking into past cases involving drones similar to the model unveiled by North Korea.
Experts have rejected the drones in question were operated by the military, saying they appear to use low-cost commercial parts unfit for military purposes.
Some have said the drones appear similar to a model from Chinese drone manufacturer Skywalker Technology.