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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] A South Korean court has rejected a request by a graduate student in his 30s, identified only by his surname Oh, to review the legality of his detention after he was arrested for allegedly sending drones into North Korea multiple times.
The Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Appeals Division 4-1 dismissed Oh’s request following a detention review hearing on March 11, meaning he will remain in custody.
Oh had filed the request on March 9, asking the court to reconsider whether his detention was lawful and whether continued detention was necessary. A detention review is a legal procedure allowing detained suspects to challenge the legality of their arrest.
According to investigators, Oh served as an inside director of a drone manufacturing company and is accused of sending drones into North Korea along with the company’s CEO, identified by the surname Jang, and another executive responsible for North Korea-related operations.
While Oh was placed under arrest, the other two suspects are being investigated without detention.
A joint military-police investigation task force transferred the case to prosecutors on March 6 on charges including benefiting the enemy, violating the Aviation Safety Act, and breaching the Military Base and Military Installations Protection Act.
The charge of benefiting the enemy under the criminal code applies to individuals who harm South Korea’s military interests or provide military advantages to an enemy state, punishable by life imprisonment or at least three years in prison.
Authorities say the suspects flew drones from Ganghwa Island in Incheon on four occasions between September 2025 and January this year, sending them through Kaesong and Pyeongsan in North Korea before returning to Paju in Gyeonggi Province.
Investigators also found the flights were conducted without notifying the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport or obtaining filming approval from the relevant military units.
The task force is also investigating whether three active-duty soldiers and one National Intelligence Service employee were involved in the incident.
알파경제 Paul Lee 특파원(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
