South Korean President Lee Jae-myung expressed regret over the drone incident in which drones entered North Korean airspace earlier this year.

"We express regret to North Korea for the unnecessary military tensions caused by irresponsible and reckless actions of certain individuals," the president said.

The South Korean investigation revealed that an employee of the National Intelligence Service and an active military serviceman were involved in the incident. The president stressed that constitutional provisions prohibit individual provocations toward North Korea.

Pyongyang announced in January that unmanned aircraft from the South had breached its airspace, describing the incident as a serious provocation. Seoul denied any military involvement and launched a joint military-police investigation.

North Korea shot down the aircraft that entered its territory and then designated the South as the "most hostile" nation amid escalating regional tensions.