North Korea Demands Detailed Explanation from Seoul Over Alleged Drone Intrusion
North Korea has demanded a detailed explanation from South Korea over an alleged drone incursion into its airspace, according to state media reports on Sunday.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Seoul must clarify the circumstances surrounding a drone that Pyongyang claims crossed the border earlier this month. North Korea alleges the unmanned aircraft entered its territory from South Korea’s Ganghwa County into the city of Kaesong in early January and has released images of wreckage it says were recovered after the drone was brought down.
South Korea has rejected the accusation. Its defence ministry said the drone shown by Pyongyang does not match any model operated by the South Korean military and denied conducting any such operation.
In a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim said she welcomed Seoul’s assertion that it had no intention of provoking North Korea, but insisted that a full explanation was still required.
“A detailed explanation should be made about the actual case of a drone that crossed the southern border of our Republic,” she was quoted as saying.
Seoul’s military said its investigation found that it neither possesses the drone in question nor operated any unmanned aerial vehicles at the time cited by North Korea. President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a swift and thorough probe by a joint military-police team.
Addressing the possibility that civilians may have flown the drone, Lee warned that such an act, if confirmed, would constitute a serious threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula and national security.
Kim Yo Jong dismissed distinctions over whether the drone was military or civilian, saying the key issue was the alleged violation of North Korean airspace. She concluded her statement with sharp criticism of South Korea’s leadership.
Analysts said the tone of Kim’s remarks suggested Pyongyang was seeking to frame the incident as a diplomatic, rather than military, issue. Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification said the demand for an explanation signalled a diplomatic push to hold South Korean authorities accountable.
The latest drone allegation comes amid heightened political tensions in South Korea, as former president Yoon Suk Yeol stands trial over accusations that he illegally ordered drone operations in an attempt to provoke Pyongyang during his failed bid to impose martial law.
