South Korea Civilian Drone Flight Investigation: Raids Target Ex-Presidential Aides

The military denied it, but a civilian graduate student claims he's the one who pulled the trigger. Authorities have launched a sweeping investigation into private citizens accused of sending drones across the border.

At 8 a.m. on January 21, 2026, the National Office of Investigation executed search warrants against three civilian suspects for violating the Aviation Safety Act. The joint police-military probe follows North Korea’s accusations that Seoul infringed on its sovereignty with drone incursions in September 2025 and on January 4.

South Korea Civilian Drone Flight Investigation: Unmasking the Suspects

The South Korean military has consistently denied involvement, stating it doesn't operate the drone models mentioned by the North. However, the narrative changed last Friday when a graduate student in his 30s, surnamed Oh, confessed to a media outlet that he flew the drones himself. The case took a political turn as it was revealed that Oh and another suspect previously worked at the presidential office under former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The suspects co-founded a drone manufacturing startup in 2024 with university backing. Investigators focused their raid on an engineering lab at a Seoul university, where they believe the drones were built. Forensic teams were seen removing unidentified objects covered in white cloth from the facility on Wednesday morning.