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4h ago

Kim Yo-jong Demands Explanation After North Korea Claims South Korean Drone Incursion

South Korea has opened a joint military-police investigation after denying any military role, with North Korea's claims and images still unverified.

Fragments of a drone lie scattered on the ground in Muksan-ri area, Kaepung District, Kaesong City, North Korea, after North Korea said on Saturday that South Korea sent another drone into North Korean airspace on January 4, according to North Korean state media KCNA, in this picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on January 10, 2026. KCNA via REUTERS
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These images taken on January 4, 2026 and released as a combo image by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on January 10, 2026 shows an aerial view of Kaesong city, which North Korea claims is footage taken retrieved from a drone from South Korea that violated North Korean airspace. Seoul denies the allegation.
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Overview

  • North Korea says it tracked a drone from Ganghwa County on Jan. 4 and forced it down near Kaesong using electronic warfare, releasing photos of wreckage and video it claims was retrieved.
  • South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the drone shown is not a model used by the military and that the armed forces did not operate drones on the dates cited.
  • President Lee Jae Myung ordered a swift joint military-police probe that will also examine whether civilians may have flown drones across the border.
  • Kim Yo-jong called for a detailed explanation from Seoul and warned of severe consequences for any future provocations, saying the drone violated North Korean airspace regardless of who operated it.
  • Analysts said the drones shown appear to be assembled from commercial parts, and Pyongyang has linked the latest claim to a similar alleged incident on Sept. 27, 2025, with outside confirmation still lacking.