South Korea imposes travel bans on three civilians

South Korea placed overseas travel bans on three people as part of an investigation into alleged drone flights over North Korea that have deepened animosities between the rivals, authorities said Friday. North Korea threatened retaliation earlier this month after accusing South Korea of launching surveillance drone flights in September and again in January. The South Korean Government denied operating any drones during the times specified by North Korea and began probing if civilians sent them.

The development threatens to further dampen prospects for a push by South Korea's liberal Government to resume long-stalled talks with North Korea. The three civilians put under travel bans include a man with the surname Oh who told South Korean media that he flew drones to check radiation levels at a North Korean uranium facility, according to a joint military and police investigation team. The investigation team refused to give details about two other civilians except to say one was summoned for questioning in the past week.