North Korean Drone Infiltrates Northern Seoul: What Is Pyongyang’s Intention Behind the Drone Provocation that Caught South Korea Off Guard?

The investigation results of a North Korean drone are released in the Ministry of National Defense briefing room on the morning of June 21, 2017. Kyunghyang Shinmun Archives

On December 26, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) invaded South Korean airspace using five drones. Experts believe the mission was conducted for various purposes, such as to test the South’s military preparedness and to oppose the reconnaissance activities of U.S. Forces.

This was the first time in five years and six months, since June 2017, that authorities confirmed a North Korean drone infiltrating South Korean airspace. The last time, a North Korean drone spied a base in Seongju where the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system of the U.S. Forces Korea was placed. The drone was discovered after it crashed into a hill in Inje, Gangwon-do.

The DPRK appears to have nullified the inter-Korean military agreement signed on September 19, 2018 by resorting to a provocation method not used since the agreement. Among the five drones that invaded South Korean airspace, one came all the way to Northern Seoul, further raising tensions. The South Korean military announced that they responded with measures corresponding to the North’s invasion of our airspace by sending manned and unmanned reconnaissance assets near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and into North Korean territory. The September 19 military agreement bans the flight of drones in an area within 10 kilometers from the MDL in the west and 15 kilometers from the MDL in the east. The North not only violated the agreement, but actually crossed the MDL into the South’s airspace. It was consistent with the North’s recent firing of artillery into the maritime buffer zone designated by the September 19 military agreement.

North Korea may have engaged in provocation using drones to check the R.O.K.- U.S. surveillance of North Korea as well as our reconnaissance setup.

Hong Min, director of the North Korean Research Division in the Korea Institute for National Unification, said, “It appears to be North Korea’s response to the U.S. Forces strengthening their surveillance of North Korea around Christmas time,” and explained, “They demonstrated South Korea’s spatial crack using drones as a response customized and proportional to U.S. reconnaissance activities.”

Some experts suggested that Pyongyang tried to stir confusion in South Korea. Commercial flights at Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport were suspended upon request from the Joint Chiefs of Staff Monday afternoon. This was the first time that commercial planes were grounded at Incheon and Gimpo airports because of North Korean drones.

On Monday, the Air Force scrambled fighter jets in response to the North Korean drones. In the process a light attack aircraft, KA-1, crashed shortly after take-off, revealing holes in the military’s preparedness. The South Korean military may have tried to avoid damage to civilian property, but they eventually failed to shoot down the North Korean drones, which flew over the South’s airspace for a total of five hours.

Cha Du-hyeogn, a principal fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies said, “It is true that they (the DPRK) caught us off guard and that we failed to respond smoothly,” and argued, “Our detection and response system for flying objects from the frontline to the capital area was far from perfect, and actions taken by the discretion of the field commander were also inadequate.”

The North may have tested their spy drones due to military needs to achieve their goal of strengthening national defense presented in the eighth party congress last January. Hong Min said, “North Korea is promoting a series of development tasks, such as the test of a solid-propellant for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and the spy satellite test, ahead of a plenary session of the Workers’ Party of Korea.” Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies also said, “North Korea has recently been trying to improve their reconnaissance ability and accelerate the development of spy satellites.” And expected Pyongyang to continue sending drones to monitor the South until they achieved their aim.

Previously in the eighth congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea last January, North Korea presented a five-year plan for the development of defense science and a weapons system including the development of a spy drone that can fly 500 kilometers, the development of a ground and water solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic rocket, and the operation of a military spy satellite.