Spying scandal! Drone filmed South Korea's training, military forced to intervene

South Korea's national team encountered an unusual situation during a closed training session in Mexico ahead of its upcoming World Cup clash with the host nation.

According to the Korean Football Association, an unidentified drone was spotted flying over the team's practice at the Chivas Valle Verde training complex in Zapopan on June 17. The session was being held behind closed doors as preparations intensified for the match against Mexico on June 19.

The aircraft was detected shortly after training got underway. Security personnel immediately notified a military unit responsible for drone surveillance, which responded by deploying signal-jamming technology. The drone was subsequently forced to the ground.

Local police, military officers, and members of the team's security staff rushed to the crash site. Although two individuals believed to be operating the drone were seen nearby, they managed to leave before authorities could detain them.

Despite their escape, team officials revealed that surveillance footage captured the suspects retrieving the drone after it went down, potentially providing investigators with valuable evidence to identify them.

Commenting on the incident, a team representative said, "Cases of unauthorized drones being found at overseas training camps do occur from time to time," adding, "Most were driven by public curiosity or for personal filming."

The official also noted, "However, this time, two men recovered the aircraft very quickly right after it crashed and left the scene, so it is hard to conclude whether it was to assess the team's strength, whether they were foreign media personnel, or just civilians."

The matter has since been reported to FIFA. A tournament safety officer assigned by the governing body requested that local authorities investigate the incident and also sought additional measures to ensure similar situations do not occur again.