North Korea Accuses South Korea of Drone Incursion into Pyongyang

PYONGYANG: North Korea claimed on Monday that a South Korean drone launched from a border island in the Yellow Sea intruded into Pyongyang earlier this month, escalating tensions between the two nations. The North Korean government alleged that the drone, which crashed in Pyongyang, was part of a series of incursions by the South Korean military. According to Yonhap News Agency, North Korea's defense ministry announced the results of its investigation into the drone incident, asserting that the drone had taken off from Baengnyeong Island in South Korea at 11:25:30 p.m. on October 8. The drone reportedly entered North Korean airspace, dispersing propaganda leaflets over key locations in Pyongyang, including the foreign ministry building and the Sungri metro station, before crashing. North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published an illustration depicting the drone's flight route, which showed a clockwise path along the western coast, entering Pyongyang's airspace, and returning to Baengn yeong Island. The investigation also revealed 238 flight plans and logs, with only the October 8 flight indicating an incursion into North Korean territory. The North Korean defense ministry condemned the South Korean military, referring to them as "ROK military gangsters," and warned of severe repercussions if further provocations occur. The term "ROK" refers to the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name, while "DPRK" stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's full name. In response, South Korea's military stated that it could not verify the North's claims. South Korea's defense ministry warned that any aggressive action by North Korea would lead to "the end of its regime." Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a statement expressing disdain for South Korea's lack of response to the allegations. She posed a hypothetical scenario involving a drone over Seoul, suggesting it would provoke significant backlash. "The military, individual organizati on, or any individual of the DPRK did not let fly a drone," Kim stated, dismissing the allegations. She added, "Under such situation, I'd like to see once how the dirty curs in Seoul bark."