Overview
- KCNA reported a Korean People’s Army General Staff statement claiming a South Korean reconnaissance drone entered North Korean airspace on January 4 and was brought down.
- North Korea said it tracked the drone moving north over Ganghwa County near the Military Demarcation Line before using electronic warfare to cause a crash near Kaesong.
- Officials said the recovered device contained footage of North Korean territory and was programmed to fly for about three hours and ten minutes at 100–300 meters.
- The statement described the flight as a sovereignty violation and warned that North Korea would make South Korea pay for the alleged provocation.
- Regional outlets in Japan relayed the KCNA account, and the reports included no South Korean response or third‑party confirmation; coverage noted a similar incident reported in September 2025.