5 questions about the Korean Peninsula drone controversy

1. What did North Korea accuse South Korea of doing?

North Korea accused South Korea of flying two drones across the DMZ into North Korean territory — one on Sept. 27 and another on Monday. North Korean state media claimed both drones were brought down using electronic means and that recovered cameras proved they were on reconnaissance missions, with posted images showing primitive-looking propeller drones painted pale blue.

2. How did South Korea’s government respond to these accusations?

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung called a drone operation “a serious crime that threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula and national security” and ordered police to investigate who may have launched the aircraft. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back denied the claims as “absolutely not true” and suggested a joint North-South probe, while military officials said the drone models shown by North Korea were not flown by the South.

3. Why is this controversy particularly problematic for Mr. Lee?

The accusations create a double whammy for Mr. Lee: He has publicly expressed amicable intentions toward North Korea that have been rejected, and his administration is simultaneously investigating whether his impeached predecessor ordered drone incursions into the North. The timing undermines both his diplomatic approach and his efforts to prove his predecessor’s hostile actions toward Pyongyang.

4. What is the recent history of drone incidents between the two Koreas?

In December 2022, five North Korean drones crossed into South Korea and loitered over sensitive sites, including civilian airports and government compounds before withdrawing. Then, in November 2024, North Korea accused South Korea of flying drones over Pyongyang and dropping propaganda leaflets, shooting down those drones with kinetic means — flights that Mr. Lee’s administration has confirmed happened.

5. Who might actually be behind these drone flights if not the South Korean military?

Security experts believe the South Korean military is unlikely to have conducted the flights, as all agencies are “on a tight leash” under Mr. Lee’s government. Possible culprits include anti-North Korean civic activists who have historically floated propaganda balloons across the DMZ and may have switched to cheap, low-tech drones, or activists possibly hired and equipped by domestic intelligence agencies to provide plausible deniability for the 2024 drone operations over Pyongyang. 

Read more: Korean aerial tension reignites as North accuses South of drone intrusions