South Korea imposes travel bans on 3 civilians over alleged drone flights into North Korea

South Korea has imposed overseas travel bans on three individuals as part of an escalating investigation into alleged drone flights over North Korean territory, authorities announced Friday. The probe comes amid rising tensions between the two nations and threatens to further complicate diplomatic relations on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea recently issued threats of retaliation after accusing South Korea of conducting unauthorized surveillance drone flights over its territory in September and again in January. The South Korean government has firmly denied these allegations, stating it did not operate any drones during the specified timeframes, and launched an investigation to determine if civilians might be responsible.

Among those placed under travel restrictions is a man with the surname Oh, who previously told South Korean media that he had flown drones to measure radiation levels at a North Korean uranium facility. Two other individuals have also been subjected to travel bans, though investigators have released limited details about them, only confirming that one was summoned for questioning within the past week.

South Korean media reports suggest the three individuals have connections to a drone manufacturing company. Reports also indicate that Oh and the person who was summoned previously worked as contract employees for the office of former conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol in 2022, though the investigation team has declined to confirm these details.

Current South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has emphasized the importance of a thorough investigation, warning that unnecessary tensions with North Korea could negatively impact the nation’s economy. Lee took office in June after a special election that followed the dismissal of President Yoon, who was removed from office in late 2024 following a controversial martial law imposition.

Security analysts suggest North Korea’s drone accusations may be strategically timed to intensify anti-South Korean sentiment ahead of the ruling Workers’ Party congress, expected to take place in late January or February. The congress, the first of its kind in five years, could potentially formalize leader Kim Jong Un’s recent declaration of a hostile “two-state” system on the Korean Peninsula by incorporating it into the party constitution.

Drone-related incidents have long been a source of friction between the two countries. North Korea accused South Korea in October 2024 of using drones to drop propaganda leaflets over its capital, Pyongyang. South Korea has similarly made accusations of North Korean drone incursions over the past decade.

A particularly tense incident occurred in December 2022 when South Korea fired warning shots, scrambled fighter jets, and deployed surveillance drones over North Korean territory in response to alleged North Korean drone flights across the border—the first such reported incursions in five years.

The current situation further dims prospects for diplomatic engagement between the two Koreas. Formal talks between Seoul and Pyongyang have been stalled since 2019, with multiple efforts to restart dialogue failing amid persistent military tensions and mutual distrust.

The South Korean investigation into the civilian drone flights continues as authorities work to determine the full scope of the incidents and any potential violations of national security protocols. The case highlights the increasingly complex nature of border security in an era where civilian access to drone technology has become widespread, creating new challenges for managing inter-Korean relations and preventing unintended escalations.

For both nations, the drone controversy represents yet another obstacle in the already difficult path toward regional stability, as each side remains deeply suspicious of the other’s intentions amid a decades-long military standoff.