A collaborative military-police task force (TF) that was looking into claims that graduate student Oh and others smuggled drones into North Korea concluded its operations on the 31st. It referred three individuals, including current military members and a National Intelligence Service (NIS) employee, to prosecutors. These suspects are alleged to have assisted Oh and others in smuggling drones into North Korea.
The TF referred NIS employee A to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for charges of assisting in general treason and aiding violations of the Aviation Safety Act. A, an administrative staff member, had been friends with Oh for 10 years prior to joining the NIS and was aware of Oh’s drone manufacturing and startup activities. According to police investigations, A provided a total of 2,900,000 Korean won to Oh and others for drone production costs and meal expenses during test flights, and tried to find out if the NIS had detected the drone intrusion on the day Oh first sent a drone to North Korea, among other accusations of supporting the crime.
The other suspects, who are currently serving in the military, were sent to military prosecutors. With respect to two officers from the Defense Security Command (DSC) who had been in contact with Oh since 2024 and are suspected of being involved in his drone flights, only Captain B, who was in charge of communicating with Oh, was referred to military prosecutors on allegations of assisting in violations of the Aviation Safety Act. The TF’s investigation found that B had reached out to Oh with the intention of using him for tasks related to North Korea. When Oh disclosed that he had used a drone to film footage from North Korea, B admitted that drone infiltration was illegal but still considered methods to use the footage for official purposes.
As for Major C, who also reached out to Oh along with B, the TF directed him to military prosecutors with a decision not to pursue charges. Although C had contacted Oh regarding tasks related to North Korea, the TF determined he had no connection to the drone intrusion. With regard to claims of a “DSC conspiracy” implying that the command systematically contacted Oh and others, the TF noted, “No further involvement was discovered.”
Officer D, a standard unit officer charged with being present at drone launch sites with Oh and helping in the crime, is facing accusations of assisting in general treason and breaking the Aviation Safety Act. It is claimed that D viewed North Korean footage captured by Oh’s drone and assessed its intelligence significance. D is said to have encountered Oh while taking a graduate-level class that Oh was enrolled in.
In January, President Lee Jae Myung initiated a comprehensive investigation into civilian drones entering North Korea, labeling it an “unimaginable act.” After this, the task force was established and Oh, who confessed, “I flew drones into North Korea,” was sent for prosecution on the 6th. Jang and Kim, who co-founded the drone company ‘Estel Engineering’ with Oh and managed it, were referred to authorities without being arrested.
They are charged with flying drones into North Korea on four occasions between September of last year and January of this year. Prosecutors brought charges against them on the 25th. The task force subsequently referred additional individuals who are suspected of having directly or indirectly assisted in the drone incursions.
A representative from the TF mentioned, “By the 31st, the TF has completed its operations and will assist with prosecution efforts by working alongside the National Police Agency and the Ministry of National Defense’s investigation unit, which are managing the referred cases.”
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