South Korean Drones Return to North Korea's Skies |
It was previously established that Yun Seok-yol planned to use drones to incite conflict between the Koreas. However, it turns out that drone launches toward the North continue even under the current democratic administration.
DPRK Statements and the ROK’s Response
The author emphasizes two key points. First, the drones were launched from a border zone, access to which is restricted, especially after measures were taken against NGOs that launched leaflets. Furthermore, the drones flew over South Korean territory, where radar stations and counter-drone systems are in operation. Second, both drones were not carrying leaflets but were instead filming North Korean military installations.
Accusations and Counterarguments
Pyongyang’s statement, as expected, contained harsh accusations against the South Korean authorities. North Korea compared them to the “madmen of Kyiv,” claiming that “it is not difficult to predict the forces behind the scenes” behind the drone intrusion. According to Pyongyang, South Korea once again demonstrated its duplicity: while professing dialogue, it resorts to provocations behind the scenes. “The international community must clearly understand the root cause of the escalation of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the risk of armed conflict,” the statement emphasized, adding a threat that “war fanatics in the Republic of Korea (ROK) will certainly pay a heavy price for their completely unacceptable madness.”
In contrast, anti-Pyongyang propaganda dismissed the incident as a provocation. However, according to North Korean media, there is ample evidence: approximately 20 images of the drone and its equipment were published, along with flight path data and photographs of several areas of North Korea.
On social media, users identified the drone displayed by the North as a Chinese ‘Skywalker Titan 2160 mm’ drone, available for purchase online. The camera quality is noted to be commensurate with the price, and there are no encryption or data destruction systems. Despite the drone’s apparent crudeness, North Korea claims it somehow managed to cross the border.
As in previous cases, Seoul officials immediately denied the accusations. On January 10, Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-baek refuted North Korea’s claims, stating that the drones on display were not models used by the South Korean military.
This was followed by a “larger-caliber” response in the form of a statement from “First Sister”........