The Drone Case, Where Intelligence and Politics Overlap

Despite official statements from the authorities, who refer to the individuals involved in the case as secret supporters of the former president, in actuality it seems they decided to distance themselves from a group of freelance military intelligence operatives due to political expediency.

Three at the center of attention

The main suspect is a man around 30 years old, a certain Mr. Oh. In an interview with Channel A, he admitted that since September 2025, he had independently directed drones toward North Korea on three occasions: two of them crashed in Northern territory, and one successfully returned. Oh provided video recordings and explained that the flights were conducted to measure radiation levels in the Pyongsan County area (North Hwanghae Province), where a uranium processing facility is located.

The second suspect is Jang, who is suspected of assembling and modifying the drones. He purchased the drone’s frame through a Chinese online platform and was involved in its modification.

The third suspect is Kim, who worked together with Oh and Jang at the same company specializing in drone production.

What is known to the investigation

To date, the investigation has gathered much information. Firstly, according to “sources familiar with the case”, the group has long been involved not only with drones but also with politics. Oh, and Jang previously worked on temporary contracts in the office of former president Yoon Suk Yeol’s press secretary, handling news monitoring, and they also attended the same graduate school in Seoul. In September 2023, they jointly founded a drone manufacturing company, and in 2024, they co-founded a startup focused on unmanned aerial vehicles with the support of a yet undisclosed university.

As for Kim, following the North Korean drone incursion into Seoul in late 2022, he publicly advocated for retaliatory drone launches toward North Korea.

Secondly, the group received support from the South Korean military intelligence command (DIC). This has been reported by both the progressive Newstapa and the conservative Chosun Ilbo.

Intelligence operation: contacts with Oh and Jang and their role in gathering........

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