Were N. Korean drones made in China?

New circumstances have emerged in which the three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that crashed in South Korea near the border with North Korea are likely to have been made in China. Earlier, Seoul`s Ministry of National Defense tentatively concluded that the drones were sent by Pyongyang. If the drones turn out to be Chinese-made, the drone case could directly or indirectly affect the Seoul-Beijing and Pyongyang-Beijing ties as well as the inter-Korean relations.

Some South Korean amateur remote-controlled model plane clubs and Internet users disclosed a Chinese-made UAV dubbed the SKY-09 that is similar to the North Korean drones in appearance and functions. The drone in the photo is in the shape of a triangle like a ray as were the ones that crashed in Paju, Gyeonggi Province and Samcheok, Gangwon Province.

The 1.92-meter-by-0.56-meter drone is almost the same as the drones found in Paju and Samcheok and has a maximum takeoff weight of 13 kilograms, just 1 kilogram more than them. It also has wooden propellers, as do the crashed drones. There are other similarities in flight specifications, too. According to the Internet homepage of the Chinese drone maker, the SKY-09 flies at 80 to 100 kilometers per hour. The South Korean military said the crashed drones flew at 100 kilometers an hour. All of them use global positioning system-based automatic navigation devices, have the same maximum altitude of 4,000 meters and are operable for 90 to 180 minutes. Also, the Chinese drone can fly up to 270 kilometers at the speed of 90 kilometers per hour, the same as the South Korean military`s description of the crashed drones.

In addition, where and how a digital single lens reflex camera is mounted on the Chinese drone are the same as those of the drones found in Paju and Samcheok.

The new findings have raised the possibility that North Korea purchased and modified the Chinese drones or manufactured them with China`s technical support. Some South Korean military officials say it is highly likely that the North imported Chinese fuselages, modified the engines and repainted the drones.

Previously, when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Unit 1501 of the North Korean military, North Korean media reported that the unit developed "modern state-of-the-art combat technology and devices capable of mercilessly striking the vital points of the enemies under any combat circumstances." A South Korean military source said the possibility cannot be ruled out that the unit acquired and modified a Chinese-made UAV or copied them to use them for surveillance on South Korea.