Overview
- President Lee Jae Myung said an officer from the National Intelligence Service, South Korea's spy agency, and an active-duty soldier took part in a drone flight into North Korean territory earlier this year.
- He called the operation a "declaration of war" and said the people behind it should face strict punishment.
- His announcement overturned earlier government claims that a civilian group acted on its own without state involvement.
- He expressed regret for "unnecessary military tensions" and warned that any such actions must follow constitutional limits that bar private provocations against the North.
- North Korea responded by having Kim Yo Jong praise Lee's apology as wise and generous, a rare warm message after recent threats over cross-border drone flights.