A government official says the drone that crashed on Baengnyeong Island on Monday took off from an airfield on the west coast of North Korea.
 
The official said the North launched the drone from South Hwanghae Province and it flew at an altitude of more than three kilometers toward Baengnyeong Island.
 
South Korea’s Air Force picked up the drone briefly on radar. Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said South Korea’s Sixth Marine Brigade fired around 300 shots with its Vulcan cannons early Monday afternoon, shortly after North Korea began firing shells toward the South’s waters,
 
But he said it’s unclear whether the marines were trying to shoot down the drone because it crashed on the island several hours later around four o’clock. 
 
Last week, a similar drone was discovered in Paju, a city near the border with North Korea. An expert who analyzed that drone said it took pictures of the presidential office compound by circling the area for around 20 seconds.
 
The expert based the assessment on the number of pictures taken and the speed of the drone. The expert also said the plane has an image transmitting device, but it’s unlikely any photos were sent to the North.