SEOUL (AP) – North Korea has accused rival South Korea of flying drones to its capital to drop anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets and threatened to respond with force if such flights occur again. South Korea issued a vague denial of the allegation.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that South Korean drones were detected in the night skies of Pyongyang on October 3 and on Wednesday and Thursday.The ministry accused the South of violating North Korea’s “sacred” sovereignty and threatening its security, and described the alleged flights as a “dangerous provocation” that could escalate to an armed conflict and even war.
It said North Korean forces will prepare “all means of attack” capable of destroying the southern side of the border and the South Korean military, and respond without warning if South Korean drones are detected in its territory again.
“The safety lock on our trigger has now been released,” the ministry said. “We will be prepared for everything and will be watching. The criminals should no longer gamble with the lives of their citizens.” Asked about the North Korean claims during a Parliamentary hearing, South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun told lawmakers, “We have not done that.”
He said he was still trying to assess the situation and didn’t elaborate further.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Kim was referring to South Korean military drones, or also drones possibly operated by South Korean civilians.
