NIS: "Cannot Rule Out Possibility of North Korean Drone Filming Presidential Office" (Comprehensive)

NIS Reports to National Assembly Intelligence Committee... "There Are Also Suicide Bombers"
'Ri Yong-ho Execution Rumors'... "Purge Confirmed, Execution Unconfirmed"
Restaurant Suspected as Chinese Secret Police Station "Explanation Differs from Facts"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] The National Intelligence Service recently stated that it cannot rule out the possibility that a North Korean drone, which intruded into South Korean airspace, may have filmed as far as the Yongsan Presidential Office.

Yoon Gun-young, the opposition party's secretary of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee and a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said to reporters after the full committee meeting on the 5th, "I expressed concerns about the possibility of filming the Presidential Office, and received a response (from the National Intelligence Service) that there is a possibility."

Regarding this, Yoo Sang-beom, the ruling party's secretary and a member of the People Power Party, elaborated, "The response that 'such a possibility cannot be ruled out' was given in answer to a hypothetical question about whether the drone could have entered and filmed at that altitude, but it was not an answer confirming that it was possible."

Flight path of North Korean drone submitted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the National Assembly [Image source=Yonhap News]

Yoon Gun-young also reported, "Regarding the flight path investigation, it was confirmed that the drone passed through a no-fly zone," and added, "In response to media reports claiming that 12 drones infiltrated, the National Intelligence Service stated, 'That is not true; as previously reported, it was five drones.'

Yoo Sang-beom explained, "The National Intelligence Service has identified that North Korea currently possesses about 500 drones of around 20 types, mainly small drones in the 1 to 6-meter class," and added, "It is also estimated that they possess a small number of attack-type drones, including suicide drones."

He continued, "There have been signs of development of medium to large drones for long-range reconnaissance, but it is understood to be in the early stages," and added, "Securing high-performance detection sensors and other technologies is crucial, and the National Intelligence Service is closely monitoring related trends."

"North Korea's solid-fuel missile is ICBM-class... Confirmation of Ri Yong-ho purge"

North Korea, Engine Test for New Solid ICBM [Image Source=Yonhap News]

Additionally, the full committee meeting included reports on major North Korean developments, including nuclear tests.

Yoo Sang-beom said regarding the solid-fuel engine that North Korea successfully tested on the 15th of last month, "(The National Intelligence Service) judges it to be Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)-class," and explained, "The thrust of 140tf claimed by North Korea seems achievable based on the missile's external shape, but whether it can actually be realized remains uncertain."

Regarding the 'expected timing of North Korea's nuclear test,' he said, "The No. 3 tunnel at the Yongbyon nuclear facility has essentially completed repairs, and the access road to the No. 4 tunnel is also finished, so a test could happen at any time," but added, "However, the committee did not discuss in detail when a nuclear test might be possible or whether it will be conducted."

The National Intelligence Service also predicted that North Korea's military parade would be held on February 8, the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army.

Yoon Gun-young explained regarding the report by Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun citing sources that former Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho was executed last year, "The purge has been confirmed, but the execution has not been verified," and added, "I have not been briefed on the specific background or reasons for the purge."

Regarding the sudden dismissal of Park Jong-chon, the first-ranking official in the North Korean military and Vice Chairman of the Workers' Party Central Military Commission, and the appointment of Ri Yong-gil as his successor, Yoon said, "The National Intelligence Service views this as a disciplinary action due to inadequate wartime readiness during training and insufficient military command and control," and added, "It is also interpreted as an effort to replace the military leadership at once and strengthen control over the military."

Regarding North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un recently appearing publicly with his second daughter Kim Ju-ae, Yoon explained, "The National Intelligence Service interprets Kim Ju-ae's accompaniment as showing Kim Jong-un's determination for hereditary politics," but also noted, "(The National Intelligence Service) advises against concluding that she is the successor."

"Under investigation for Chinese secret police station... Chinese restaurant's explanation differs from facts"

Chinese Restaurant Suspected of 'Secret Police Station' Repeatedly Announces Press Conference
[Image Source=Yonhap News]

There was also mention of the 'Chinese secret police station.' Previously, allegations surfaced that China operates secret police stations worldwide to suppress dissidents, and the Chinese restaurant Dongbang Myeongju in Songpa-gu, Seoul, was identified as a base in South Korea.

The restaurant's owner, Wang Hai-jun, held a briefing on the 31st of last month, introducing himself as the director of the Seoul Overseas Chinese Service Center (OCSC) and CEO of HG Culture Media.

Yoo Sang-beom stated regarding the owner's explanation about the secret police station, "Many parts of the explanation are understood to be inconsistent with the facts."

He added about the issue of the Chinese secret police station in South Korea, "Counterintelligence authorities are conducting an in-depth investigation and have received reports, but cannot disclose specifics," and explained, "The counterintelligence authorities are legally reviewing whether there have been violations of diplomatic and consular agreements and Article 20 of the Immigration Control Act."

Meanwhile, the OCSC, which the restaurant owner said he directs, is known as a nonprofit organization encouraged by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Chinese State Council to support Chinese nationals abroad. At the briefing, Wang claimed, "It is an organization that supports Chinese people who die or get injured unexpectedly (in South Korea) so they can return home," and stated, "We have helped 10 Chinese nationals return to China."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.