Overview
- KCNA reported that North Korean forces brought down a surveillance-equipped drone near Kaesong this month and published images of wreckage and camera footage.
- North Korea said the aircraft’s cameras recorded “important targets” and claimed the drones were launched from restricted frontline areas in the South, citing Incheon for the latest case.
- South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the drone shown by Pyongyang is not a model operated by South Korea’s military and that no units flew drones on the dates alleged.
- President Lee Jae-myung directed an inquiry into the incident, and officials indicated Seoul could pursue a rare joint investigation with Pyongyang.
- Pyongyang warned that Seoul would “pay a high price” and tied the claim to a similar incident in September, as Lee also seeks Chinese mediation to lower tensions.