South Korea probes if spies funded drones flown into North by student

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered an investigation into claims that the country’s military intelligence command supported a civilian accused of sending drones into North Korea.The civilian at the centre of the allegations, a graduate student in his thirties identified only by his surname Oh, claims he flew drones into North Korea three times since September last year.He previously worked in ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol’s office and allegedly received – according to local media reports – financial backing from the Korea Defence Intelligence Command (KDIC), whose former commanders are among those on trial over Yoon’s failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.At a cabinet meeting, Lee expressed concern over whether the latest drone flights were connected to that episode.South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on Tuesday. Photo: Yonhap/EPA“It is questionable how civilians could even imagine sending drones at a time when such a trial is under way,” he said, noting there were “allegations that a state agency was involved”.