Pyongyang Drone Incursion Operation - Additional Analysis by Lawmaker Kim Byung-joo

Introduction: On the Brink of War

In October 2025, tensions between South Korea and North Korea escalated dramatically. In Pyongyang, drones infiltrated on three separate occasions, and anti-North Korean leaflets were dispersed near Kim Jong-un's residence. The content of the leaflets went beyond simple criticism, featuring images close to pornography and mocking Chairman Kim and his family. This incident could be interpreted as a provocation that could lead to war, rather than merely a psychological operation against the North. This essay attempts to analyze the "shadow operation on the Korean Peninsula that brought the situation close to war" and interpret the political context and circumstances of that time.

Main Point 1: Operation Overview and Summary of Facts

In October 2025, a total of seven unmanned aerial vehicles flew into North Korea over three operations. The first operation departed on October 3, the second on October 8, arriving in the early hours of the 9th. The third operation, on October 10, remains surrounded by unconfirmed suspicions. This operation was not just simple reconnaissance it distributed up to 3,600 leaflets, which contained sexual mockery directed at Chairman Kim Jong-un and his wife. The leaflets were dropped from an altitude of 1 km and could spread within a radius of 2 km, increasing the likelihood of the content reaching key power facilities in Pyongyang.

Main Point 2: Strategic Intent and Crisis Creation

The leaflet drop targeting the 15th residence is a provocation that throws leaflets in front of the enemy leader, symbolically aiming at the heart of the opposing regime, which is the pinnacle of military operations. The flight altitude of the drone tends to make it easily susceptible to North Korea's air defense network, indicating that this was a politically risky attempt. Lawmaker Kim Byung-joo analyzed that this operation could be a scenario for the political purposes of the Yoon Suk-yeol government, going beyond simple military judgment.

Main Point 3: North Korea's Reaction - Unprecedented Restraint

Surprisingly, North Korea did not respond militarily to the infiltration of the drone. It seems that North Korea judged South Korea's provocation as a lead-up to war and adopted a strategy of restraint. Reporter Park Hyun-gwang analyzed that North Korea might have sensed the possibility of an insurrection under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. Additionally, there were opinions suggesting that North Korea could have identified the underlying causes of the situation through external information. It is interpreted that North Korea has been strategically avoiding direct responses while gathering information in advance in this context.

Conclusion: Whose operation was it?

The 2025 Pyongyang drone incident is assessed as a provocation towards North Korea that brought the situation to the brink of full-scale war, rather than a mere psychological operation. This is intertwined with political objectives and can be perceived as a dangerous approach that undermines democracy. North Korea's deterrence strategy shows a different aspect from the past, responding with strategy rather than emotion. It raises ironic questions about who sought to instigate war within South Korea and who ultimately prevented that war, which was North Korea. This incident prompts us to reconsider whose operation it is and who the citizens should protect.