Wreckage of DPRK drone found near western sea border

SEOUL - Wreckage of a small drone, which the Republic of Korea (ROK) estimated the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( DPRK) had sent, was found in waters near the western maritime border, Yonhap News Agency reported citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The wreckage, which is similar in shape and color with the DPRK-dispatched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) found earlier this year, was discovered at around 2:20 p.m. local time in waters some six km west of Baengyeong Island, just south of the disputed western sea boundary.

Parachute strings of the wrecked UAV were hooked and reeled up by a ROK fishing boat sailing near the island.

The unmanned airplane had a similar shape and color with the DPRK-sent UAV discovered on March 24 in Paju, the northwestern ROK city close to the inter-Korean land border.

The ROK military concluded in early May that three drones discovered from March 24 to April 6 near the inter-Korean border areas had been sent by the DPRK for reconnaissance purpose.

The three drones had built-in cameras, which captured images of military installations and the presidential office, but there was no engine and camera left inside the wreckage of the UAV found Monday.

A JCS official was quoted as saying that the military will open all possibilities for when and from where the UAV fell in waters, noting that the pilotless airplane was estimated to have floated for a long time in accordance with sea currents.