▲ This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Jan. 10, 2026, shows what North Korea claimed was a drone sent by South Korea on Sept. 27, 2025. The North's military said it struck the drone with its electronic means to force it to fall in Jangphung County in the North's border city of Kaesong. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) defense chief-N Korea

(LEAD) S. Korean defense minister denies N. Korea's drone infiltration claims

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with defense ministry statement)

SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's defense chief on Saturday denied North Korea's claims that its drones infiltrated into the North in September last year and earlier this week, saying the drones in question were not models operated by the South Korean military.

North Korea claimed earlier in the day that South Korea infringed on its sovereignty with drone incursions, saying that Seoul should be ready to "pay a high price" for what it called a provocation.

In response to an inquiry by Yonhap News Agency, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the North's alleged claims were "absolutely not true," noting the photos of the drones released by the North were not models owned by the South Korean military.

The defense ministry said President Lee Jae Myung had ordered a "thorough" investigation into the matter, with relevant agencies verifying the details of the case.

"It has been confirmed that the South Korean military had not operated any drones on the dates claimed by North Korea," the ministry said in the notice.

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