Korea's Ministry of Unification: South Korean citizens who released drones into North Korea may face life imprisonment
South Korea's Minister of Unification, Jeong Dong-young, said in a statement that South Korean citizens who released drones into North Korea may face life imprisonment or other penalties for the crime of endangering the state.
He said, "We are currently investigating three citizens accused of violating the Aviation Safety Act and the crime of endangering the state under the Criminal Law."
He stated that these citizens' actions aimed to escalate tensions between neighboring countries and hinder the policies of the Yoon Suk-yeol government aimed at achieving peaceful coexistence between North and South Korea.
He explained that two of the three suspects were involved in the manufacture of drones, while one was responsible for operating the drone. In addition, investigations are being conducted on active-duty military intelligence command personnel and National Intelligence Service staff who may be involved.
The General Staff Department of the Korean People's Army stated on January 10 that South Korea had used drones to infringe upon its airspace on January 4, 2026, and September 27, 2025. After that, South Korea's security agencies confirmed that the drone release incidents were related to civilians. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stated that it is unacceptable to擅自 send drones to North Korea.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857468625914890/
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