SEOUL, South Korea — On Saturday, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accused South Korea of willfully evading responsibility regarding reported flights of South Korean drones over Pyongyang, warning of a potential “terrible calamity” if such actions persist.
This statement followed claims from North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, which asserted that South Korean drones carrying anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets were spotted over the capital on October 3, as well as on the preceding Wednesday and Thursday.
The North Korean ministry announced that its military would ready “all means of attack” to obliterate targets on the southern side of the border and that they would respond unexpectedly if any South Korean drones intruded into their airspace again.
While initially denying the accusations, South Korea’s defense minister later amended the response, indicating uncertainty over the authenticity of North Korea’s claims.
In her remarks delivered via state media, Kim Yo Jong, who holds a significant position in her brother’s foreign policy team, interpreted the ambiguous statements from the South Korean military as evidence of their potential complicity in the situation.
“If the military allowed citizens to use drones, which are commonly recognized as versatile military tools, to infringe on another nation’s sovereignty, this would symbolize deliberate collusion and negligence,” she asserted.
She warned that if another South Korean drone were to be spotted in the skies over Pyongyang, it would inevitably result in grave consequences, while expressing hope that such an incident would not take place.
There was no immediate reply from South Korean military or government officials regarding Kim’s statements.
The current tensions between North and South Korea have heightened significantly, reflecting the escalating frequency of North Korean missile launches in conjunction with South Korea’s military exercises with the United States. These ongoing hostilities have been intensified by a series of psychological actions reminiscent of Cold War tactics from both sides in recent months.
Since May, North Korea has retaliated against South Korean activists by sending numerous balloons filled with discarded paper and plastic into South Korea, which it has characterized as a form of counteraction for the balloons launched by South Korean citizens that carried anti-North Korean leaflets.
To counteract North Korea’s balloon activities, South Korea has employed loudspeakers along the border to disseminate propaganda, including popular K-pop music, into North Korean territory.
Pyongyang remains extremely sensitive to external critiques concerning Kim Jong Un’s autocratic regime and his family’s longstanding rule.
South Korean officials are increasingly worried that North Korea may amplify pressure on both Seoul and Washington as the U.S. presidential election approaches in November. Analysts suggest that Kim’s ultimate objective is to compel the U.S. to acknowledge North Korea as a legitimate nuclear state, negotiating from a standpoint of strength for security and economic advantages.
In recent written responses to inquiries, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol conveyed concerns that significant provocations from North Korea could arise surrounding the U.S. election, which might include testing a nuclear device or conducting an intercontinental ballistic missile flight test to capture the attention of Washington.
