North Korea requests ICAO investigation into alleged South Korean drone incursion over Pyongyang

North Korea has formally requested an international investigation into its claim that a South Korean drone entered Pyongyang’s airspace in October last year.

The move comes as South Korea’s opposition parties raise suspicions of a politically motivated operation, and analysts suggest North Korea is leveraging the issue to its advantage.

According to diplomatic sources, North Korea recently filed a request with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized United Nations agency, urging an inquiry into the alleged drone incident. The ICAO, established under the Chicago Convention, includes both North and South Korea as member states.

Under ICAO rules and precedent, the governing Council is required to discuss any issue raised by a contracting state, meaning North Korea’s complaint will be reviewed. This marks the first time Pyongyang has sought an ICAO investigation. By contrast, when North Korean drones infiltrated South Korean airspace in 2022, the South Korean government had considered a similar request for an inquiry.

The National Security Council (NSC) in Seoul reportedly discussed countermeasures last week in response to North Korea’s request.

North Korea accuses South Korea of deploying drones to drop anti-regime leaflets over its territory, an allegation that Seoul has neither confirmed nor denied. South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense has maintained a strategically ambiguous stance, stating that it “cannot verify the claim.”

Observers suggest that Pyongyang’s move is an attempt to turn international attention toward South Korea while fueling political controversy within the country over suspicions of a “North Wind” operation—an alleged tactic of using security incidents to influence domestic politics.

BY CHULWOONG KIM, YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]