The South Korean army confirmed Thursday {that a} North Korean drone had breached the important thing no-fly zone across the presidential workplace throughout a uncommon incursion final month.
Military tensions on the Korean peninsula rose sharply final 12 months because the North performed sanctions-busting weapons checks almost each month, together with firing its most superior intercontinental ballistic missile ever.
Pyongyang then despatched 5 drones throughout the border into South Korean airspace on Dec. 26, the primary such incident in 5 years, prompting Seoul to scramble jets to reply.
South Korea’s army had already apologized after failing to shoot down any of the drones, regardless of a five-hour operation, which it blamed on the drones being “too small.”
It had additionally repeatedly denied experiences the drones had infiltrated the important thing no-fly zone, generally known as P-73, that features the skies over the South Korean presidential workplace.
“It is not true that (the North Korean drone) did not pass over Yongsan,” Lee Sung-jun, a spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff mentioned Thursday, referring to the world the place the presidential workplace and protection ministry are situated.
A army official mentioned an investigation had discovered that “the trail of a small drone of the enemy” had handed via the northern finish of the no-fly zone.
“We make it clear that there is no problem with the safety of the Yongsan office,” the official mentioned.
‘Worrisome’
South Korea’s army mentioned final week the North “could not have obtained meaningful information” with its drone incursion due to what it described as Pyongyang’s low know-how stage.
But Seoul’s spy company informed lawmakers Thursday “it is possible” that the North Korean drone took photographs of the South Korean presidential workplace, Rep. Youn Kun-young of the primary opposition Democratic Party informed reporters.
“It is worrisome that Yongsan, where South Korea’s top security control facilities are located, was infiltrated in the height of tension between the two Koreas,” Yang Moo-jin, a professor on the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, informed AFP.
He mentioned the preliminary denials would additionally seemingly harm public belief.
South Korea underneath President Yoon Suk-yeol has beefed up joint army drills with the United States and is discussing with Washington joint planning and workout routines involving U.S. nuclear property.
North Korean research scholar Ahn Chan-il informed AFP the hawkish Yoon had seemingly turn into a “feared figure” in Pyongyang.
He mentioned that the drone incursion might have been a check flight in case of a future assassination try.
