3 civilians get suspended prison terms for flying drones into N. Korea

A Seoul court on Wednesday handed suspended prison terms to three civilians for flying drones into North Korea without permission and acquitted them of aiding the enemy. The Seoul Central District Court gave a graduate student in his 30s, surnamed Oh, an eight-month sentence suspended for two years, and the other two defendants six-month sentences suspended for two years. The court said they violated the Aviation Safety Act by flying drones over 2 kilograms without required prior reporting.

The three were indicted for sending drones across the inter-Korean border four times between last September and January to film North Korea.

Two of the drones failed to return and crashed in North Korea.

The court said drones over 2 kilograms require prior reporting to the land ministry, and the defendants did not take that step.

The court acquitted the three of benefiting the enemy because it said it was not proven that SD cards were on the drones or that meaningful military information was leaked.

Prosecutors had sought a five-year prison term for Oh and three-year terms for the other two defendants.

Published Sep 16, 2026 3:36 pm KST

This file photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Jan. 10, shows a drone that North Korea claimed was sent by South Korea across the border into the North's Jangphung County in Kaesong. Yonhap

A court on Wednesday handed down suspended prison terms to three civilians for flying drones into North Korea without permission while acquitting them of charges related to aiding the enemy.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced a graduate student in his 30s, surnamed Oh, to an eight-month prison term suspended for two years and two others to prison terms of six months, also suspended for two years, on charges of violating the Aviation Safety Act.

The three were indicted on charges of sending drones across the inter-Korean border four times between last September and January to film North Korea. Two of the drones failed to return and crashed in North Korea, prompting Pyongyang to release statements criticizing Seoul after analyzing the recovered wreckage, flight logs and video footage.

The court found them guilty of operating drones exceeding 2 kilograms in weight, the threshold for mandatory prior reporting to the land ministry, without taking the required step. Drones made and operated by research institutes for testing or research purposes are exempt from the mandatory reporting, but those flown by the defendants did not qualify for such exemptions, the court noted.

The court, however, acquitted the three of "benefiting the enemy in general," a charge that covers acts that harm South Korea's military interests or give military benefits to the enemy, regardless of prior collusion.

Prosecutors had argued that North Korea extracted flight paths from an SD card inside the crashed drones, thereby compromising South Korea's air defense posture.

The court said that whether the drones had in fact carried SD cards has not been proven, and thus it is difficult to conclude that any meaningful military information may have been leaked to North Korea.

The prosecution had demanded a five-year prison term for Oh and three-year prison terms for the other two defendants.

首尔一家法院周三对三名未经许可操控无人机飞入朝鲜境内的平民判处缓刑，并裁定他们无罪，不构成协助敌方罪。首尔中央地方法院判处一名30多岁的吴姓研究生8个月监禁，缓刑两年；另两名被告被判处6个月监禁，缓刑两年。法院称，他们违反了《航空安全法》，在未按规定事先报告的情况下操控重量超过2公斤的无人机。

这三人被指控在去年9月至今年1月期间四次派遣无人机越过朝韩边境拍摄朝鲜。

其中两架无人机未能返航，在朝鲜坠毁。

法院表示，重量超过 2 公斤的无人机需要事先向国土部门报告，而被告人没有采取这一步骤。

法院宣判三人无罪，不构成为敌方谋利，因为法院表示，没有证据表明无人机上有 SD 卡，也没有证据表明泄露了重要的军事信息。

检方曾寻求判处吴某五年监禁，并寻求判处另外两名被告三年监禁。

发布于2026年9月16日下午3:36（韩国标准时间）

这张资料照片由朝鲜官方通讯社朝中社于1月10日发布，照片显示一架无人机，朝鲜声称该无人机是由韩国派往朝鲜开城江东地区长丰郡的。（韩联社）

周三，一家法院对三名未经许可驾驶无人机进入朝鲜的平民判处缓刑，同时宣告他们无罪，免于协助敌人的指控。

首尔中央地方法院判处一名30多岁的吴姓研究生8个月有期徒刑，缓刑两年；另判处两名研究生6个月有期徒刑，缓刑两年，罪名是违反航空安全法。

这三人被控于去年9月至今年1月期间四次派遣无人机越过朝韩边境拍摄朝鲜。其中两架无人机未能返回，坠毁在朝鲜境内。平壤方面在分析了回收的残骸、飞行记录和视频录像后，发表声明批评首尔。

法院认定他们操作重量超过2公斤的无人机（达到必须事先向国土部报告的重量门槛）而未采取必要措施，构成犯罪。法院指出，科研机构制造和操作用于测试或研究目的的无人机可免于强制报告，但被告操控的无人机不符合此类豁免条件。

然而，法院宣判这三人“为敌方谋利”的罪名不成立，该罪名涵盖损害韩国军事利益或向敌方提供军事利益的行为，无论事先是否存在勾结。

检方辩称，朝鲜从坠毁无人机的 SD 卡中提取了飞行路线，从而损害了韩国的防空态势。

法院表示，无人机是否真的携带了 SD 卡尚未得到证实，因此很难断定是否有任何有意义的军事信息可能泄露给了朝鲜。

检方要求判处吴某五年监禁，另两名被告三年监禁。