North Korea has accused South Korea of flying a surveillance drone into its airspace earlier this month, an allegation Pyongyang says violates its sovereignty and comes just ahead of a major ruling party congress expected to shape policy for the next five years.

According to state media KCNA, the drone entered North Korean airspace on 4 January after launching from an island near the South Korean city of Incheon. KCNA said the unmanned aircraft flew about 8 km before being shot down by North Korean forces.

A spokesperson for the North Korean military said the drone was equipped with surveillance cameras and used to record what were described as “major” facilities. State media released images showing what it said were fragments of the drone, including electronic components and aerial photographs of buildings allegedly taken during the flight.

KCNA said the incident followed a similar drone incursion in September, when another unmanned aircraft was shot down over Kaesong. It accused South Korea of continuing hostile acts despite a change of leadership in Seoul, calling the South its “enemy most hostile”.

South Korea’s military denied the claim, saying it did not operate drones on the date cited by Pyongyang. President Lee Jae Myung, who took office in June, ordered a thorough investigation. Lee has pledged to revive dialogue with the North in an effort to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but Pyongyang has so far rejected conciliatory moves.

Analysts have raised doubts about the North’s account. Hong Min, a North Korea expert at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said the drone and electronic parts shown by KCNA appeared to be low-cost consumer products. He added that the footage released showed areas with little intelligence or military value.

“The South Korean military already has high-value assets capable of monitoring areas near the armistice line,” Hong said, making it unlikely the drone was operated by South Korea’s armed forces.

The timing of the allegation is notable, coming shortly before North Korea’s 9th Party Congress. Hong said leader Kim Jong Un is expected to use the congress to further entrench his position that the two Koreas are hostile states, a shift first outlined in 2024 and potentially set to be written into the constitution this year.

North Korea previously accused South Korea of flying a drone over Pyongyang in October 2024. In a related case, South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol was accused by a special prosecutor late last year of ordering a drone operation to heighten tensions and justify declaring emergency martial law. Yoon has denied the allegation, with his legal team saying presidential duties cannot be treated as a crime after the fact.

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