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🇰🇵✈️🇰🇷The Drone Case, Where Intelligence and Politics Overlap When unmanned aircraft cross the Korean border, they carry more than cameras — they carry the weight of rivalry, suspicion, and domestic political struggle ✍️Konstantin Asmolov is a PhD in History and Leading Researcher at the Center for Korean Studies, Institute of China and Modern Asia, Russian Academy of Sciences. ➡️In early January, the authorities of North Korea accused South Korea of violating its sovereignty through drone incursions allegedly launched in September and again on January 4. Seoul initially denied any military purpose behind the flights, later attributing them to a group of civilians who claimed scientific motives. At the center of the case is a man identified as Oh, who admitted directing drones toward North Korean territory to measure radiation levels near Pyongsan County, where a uranium processing facility is believed to operate. Two associates — Jang, who assembled and modified the drones, and Kim, linked to a drone production company — are also under investigation. Yet the “scientific” explanation has drawn skepticism from experts, who question how such technically complex cross-border flights could occur without institutional awareness. Russian historian and journalist Oleg Kiryanov is skeptical of graduate student Oh’s claim that the drone flights into North Korea were for scientific purposes, considering it highly unlikely ➡️As the investigation unfolded, media outlets including Chosun Ilbo reported that Oh and Jang had prior contact with South Korea’s Defense Intelligence Command. According to several accounts, the pair were registered as “cooperating individuals” and received financial compensation for operational expenses. Their companies — outwardly presented as online platforms focused on North Korean analysis — allegedly functioned as cover structures for intelligence-related activity. The case took a further twist when it was revealed that one of the drones photographed South Korean military facilities, raising uncomfortable questions about oversight and control. Meanwhile, President Lee Jae Myung publicly condemned the incident and ordered a thorough investigation, signaling the political sensitivity of the affair. 🟦The broader significance of the case lies in the intersection of intelligence practice and domestic politics. South Korea’s new leadership has formally signaled interest in dialogue with Pyongyang, yet intelligence structures often retain institutional continuity beyond electoral cycles. If freelance actors were indeed used as intermediaries, it would allow official agencies to maintain plausible deniability while continuing information-gathering efforts. With local elections approaching, the scandal risks becoming a tool in the ongoing struggle between conservative and progressive forces. For Pyongyang, responsibility may be secondary — any intrusion is a provocation. For Seoul, however, the drone case has evolved into a revealing test of civil-military balance, political accountability, and the opaque boundary where state intelligence and partisan maneuvering converge. #Militarydefense#NorthandSouthKorea#Politicalprovocation#SouthKorea#UAV READ MORE ✅@NewEasternOutlook