Overview
- KCNA says a drone tracked from Ganghwa on Jan. 4 was forced down near Kaesong using electronic warfare and contained surveillance footage of border areas.
- Pyongyang also alleges a Sept. 27, 2025 flight from Paju was brought down after overflying Phyongsan, claiming the device stored several hours of video.
- Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back calls the allegations “absolutely not true,” saying the drones shown are not models operated by the South Korean military and that no flights occurred on the cited dates.
- President Lee Jae Myung orders a thorough review as Seoul proposes a joint inquiry and looks into whether a civilian operator could be responsible.
- Experts note the debris resembles low-cost commercial components and view the accusations as political signaling ahead of a party congress, with no independent verification so far.