North Korea's Defense Ministry has accused South Korea's military of sending a drone into its territory for political purposes, calling the move an encroachment on the country's sovereignty.
Points of attention
- North Korea has accused South Korea of sending drones into its territory for political purposes, leading to heightened tensions between the two countries.
- The DPRK has claimed that South Korean drones flew over its capital to distribute propaganda leaflets, triggering threats of 'merciless' responses.
- Tensions between North and South Korea have escalated, with Pyongyang sending balloons with garbage to South Korea and Seoul responding with propaganda broadcasts.
- North Korea alleges that South Korea is provoking conflict and has presented 'decisive material evidence' to support its claims.
- The situation is further complicated by North Korea's alleged deployment of troops to Russia for potential involvement in Ukraine, raising concerns of a significant escalation.
North Korea baselessly accuses South Korea: what is known
North Korea's Defense Ministry on October 28 announced the final results of its investigation into South Korean drones that Pyongyang said flew over the North Korean capital at least three times this month to distribute propaganda leaflets.
It claims that "during an analysis of the UAV flight control program," North Korean authorities allegedly discovered more than 230 flight plans and flight logs dating back to June 2023, including a plan to distribute "politically motivated garbage" (a pamphlet with propaganda content).
In particular, North Korean data for October 8 showed that the drone took off from the South Korean border town of Pennendo late in the evening. A few hours later, leaflets were scattered over the buildings of the ministries of foreign affairs and defense of the DPRK.
North Korean media have published photos showing an allegedly crashed South Korean UAV.
The DPRK said that their country would respond "mercilessly" in the event of a recurrence of similar incidents.
In response, South Korea's Ministry of Defense said that North Korea's unilateral statements "are not worth checking or reacting to."
It is noted that the tension between the countries resumed after North Korea started sending balloons with garbage to the territory of South Korea at the end of May.
Such actions by Pyongyang prompted Seoul to resume broadcasting propaganda through loudspeakers on the border.
Seoul and Washington also said that North Korea has sent 3,000 troops to Russia for possible deployment in Ukraine, which could mean a significant escalation of the conflict.
North Korea is looking for an excuse to start a war against South Korea
The spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of the DPRK said that on October 13, the wreckage of a drone similar to the aircraft that South Korea demonstrated at a parade in honor of the Day of the Armed Forces was allegedly discovered in the Pyongyang area.
This was reported by the Central Telegraph Agency of the DPRK.
North Korea claims that this is allegedly "decisive material evidence" that South Korea committed a provocation. North Korea assures that it has conducted a technical examination of the detected drone and concluded that it is a small-sized remote reconnaissance drone belonging to the South Korean military.
