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Seoul Court Approves Arrest of Student Accused in Drone Flights Over North Korea

Prosecutors are pursuing a national-security case under the 'benefiting the enemy' statute.

Overview

  • A Seoul Central District Court judge approved an arrest warrant Thursday, citing risks of flight and evidence destruction.
  • The suspect, a graduate student surnamed Oh, is accused of four cross-border drone flights from September to January under charges including benefiting the enemy and violations of aviation and military-installation laws.
  • The joint military–police task force says the flights tested drone performance for a planned business and intensified tensions after North Korea issued denunciations.
  • Investigators are probing seven people tied to the case, with three military officers and one National Intelligence Service official booked alongside alleged production contributors.
  • In court, Oh denied being directed by any agency and appeared to shift his stated motive from checking radiation levels to gathering information for research or commercial use.