Statements come in the context of investigations into several unauthorized drone flights towards North Korean territory between September 2025 and January this year
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung expressed his regret to North Korea over the incursions of civilian drones into North Korean territory, in a statement that constitutes the first reference to Pyongyang on the issue.
“Although this was not an act of our Government, I express my regret to the North Korean side for the unnecessary military tension caused by such reckless behavior,” Lee said at a meeting of the South Korean Council of Ministers.
The statements come in the context of investigations into several unauthorized drone flights towards North Korean territory between September 2025 and January this year, for which the South Korean Public Prosecutor’s Office accused three people of treason and violating the air security law: a postgraduate student, an employee of the National Intelligence Service and a military officer.
According to South Korean authorities, the suspects used unmanned aircraft to record images in areas such as Kaesong, after having bypassed air defenses, and some devices even crashed into North Korean territory, which led Pyongyang to denounce a violation of sovereignty.
Lee highlighted that the South Korean Constitution prohibits acts of provocation against the North carried out by private individuals and classified the facts as “irresponsible”, while at the same time warning of the impact on the security of residents of border areas.
The President also highlighted the need to analyze “who benefits” from these types of incidents and ordered immediate institutional measures to prevent them from recurring.
Lee Jae-myung also highlighted that peace and stability on the Korean peninsula must be the top priority, especially in an international context marked by conflicts that shake the global order.
Although it is the first time that the head of state has spoken directly to the North on the case, the South Korean Minister for Unification, Chung Dong-young, had already expressed his regret over the sending of civilian drones last March, a gesture that was unusually recognized by Kim Yo-jong, sister of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, who said she appreciated the minister’s gesture.
This first expression of regret by the South Korean leader directed at Pyongyang after the detection of the drones joins other conciliatory gestures by his Government, such as the suspension of broadcasts through loudspeakers at the border, although North Korea continues to reject inter-Korean dialogue and considers the South a “hostile” nation.
