South Korea says crashed drones were programmed to fly from North Korea and back

Three drones that crashed in South Korea had onboard flight programming that showed they were launched from North Korea and were meant to return after flying over military installations in the South, the defence ministry in Seoul said on Thursday.

South Korean and US officials jointly examined the three drones that were recovered in three different locations near the Korean border over a two-week period starting in late March.

The second was discovered soon after a three-hour artillery barrage between North and South Korea in waters near a disputed maritime border.

The drones’ penetration of South Korean airspace raised questions about its air defence capabilities while Pyongyang clings to its hard-line stance against Seoul.

“North Korea’s action is a clear military provocation that violates the armistice and the South-North non-aggression agreement,” the South’s defence ministry said in a statement.

Pyongyang has denied any involvement, calling the South’s charge a fabrication.