North Korea has accused South Korea of flying propaganda-laden drones over Pyongyang, issuing threats of “retaliation” according to state media reports on Friday.
In response, South Korea’s Joint Chief of Staff refrained from confirming or denying the allegations but urged the North not to “act rashly,” asserting that “all responsibility for the recent series of developments lies with North Korea,” a reference to the trash-laden balloons repeatedly sent south by Pyongyang.
North Korea’s foreign ministry condemned the South as “the most hostile, malicious, and rogue state,” claiming that it had recently conducted provocative actions including infiltrating drones into Pyongyang and releasing anti-North Korea leaflets on three occasions over the past week. The ministry warned that the South would “face a horrible situation if it continues provocations.”
The state-run KCNA news agency published images purportedly showing a drone along with leaflets that included messages such as “a comparison of the food you can buy” and “North Korea’s economic situation falling into hell.”
CNN has been unable to independently verify the presence of drones in North Korean airspace.
For years, South Korean activists and North Korean defectors have launched balloons across the border filled with propaganda targeting Kim Jong Un, alongside USB drives containing K-pop music and South Korean television shows, which are strictly forbidden in the isolated nation. Some activists have even used GPS trackers on “smart balloons” that can travel hundreds of kilometers.
In 2020, South Korea enacted a law prohibiting the distribution of anti-North Korean material across the border as a previous liberal government sought to engage with Pyongyang. However, many activists defied this ruling until it was overturned by a court last year, which deemed the law an excessive infringement on free speech based on a complaint from North Korean defectors.
In retaliation, North Korean authorities have dispatched over 1,000 balloons filled with trash, waste, and worms toward South Korea since May, heightening tensions in the region as Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea’s leader, warned of impending “trouble.”
In 2022, North Korea sent five drones into South Korean airspace, with four flying around Ganghwa Island and one traversing northern Seoul’s airspace, further escalating cross-border tensions.
Credit: CNN
