North Korea has accused South Korea of launching drones to disseminate anti-North Korea leaflets over its capital, Pyongyang, describing the action as a significant political and military provocation that could escalate tensions between the two countries. This claim was reported by the state news agency KCNA on Friday.
According to North Korea’s foreign ministry, the alleged drone incursions occurred at night this week and last, prompting calls for retaliatory action. The ministry stated, “The ROK (South Korea) should immediately stop such irresponsible and dangerous provocation that may cause an armed conflict and lead to a war between the two sides.”
In response, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that they could not confirm North Korea’s claims but referred to the North’s ongoing practice of sending balloons carrying trash into South Korean airspace. They emphasized that all responsibility for the tensions lies with Pyongyang, condemning its actions as “despicable, low-grade and internationally embarrassing acts of filth.”
The ongoing tension is exacerbated by North Korea’s recent practice of sending thousands of balloons containing trash into the South, which they say is a counter to activists and defectors from North Korea who send aid parcels and critical leaflets back into the North. KCNA released photos, including one showing a drone purportedly dropping leaflets that criticize North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and compare the economic conditions of the two Koreas.
Amid heightened concerns, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that an official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff suggested an investigation into whether a private group had indeed sent leaflets into North Korea.
The relationship between the two Koreas remains fraught, as they are technically still at war following the 1950-53 conflict that ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. North Korea’s foreign ministry has issued a stark warning, stating that it will take immediate action if any further drones are sent into its territory by the South.
Sources By Agencies
