South Korea issues arrest warrant for drone manufacturer suspected of sending unmanned aircraft to North Korea

Seoul — A South Korean court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for an executive director of an unmanned aircraft manufacturer accused of launching unmanned vehicles to North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea/DPRK) to test performance for economic profit, according to local media reports.

The Seoul Central District Court stated there were concerns that the suspect would destroy evidence and flee.

A joint military and police investigation team alleges the suspect launched drones four times from Ganghwa Island in Incheon between September of last year and January, with flight routes designed to pass through Kaesong and Pyeongsan in the DPRK before returning to Paju, South Korea, near the border.

Investigators stated the alleged actions escalated inter-Korean tensions and potentially endangered the public, whilst adding that the actions may have damaged military interests by exposing sensitive information.