Conflict between North and South Korea has upped another notch as North Korea accuse South Korea of flying drones into Pyongyang with the aim of showering the nation’s capital with anti-government pamphlets. The North said it would respond with force if similar actions are made in the future.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry declared that South Korea’s drones flew over Pyongyang for the third night in a row. The statement referred to the flights as a serious intrusion into the sovereign territory of the country and defined the alleged actions as “dangerous provocation” leading to an armed conflict or even war. North Korea said that in the event that the drones are identified once more it will be prepared to attack South Korea’s military without any prior notice.
As the perceived threat from the south of the border looms, the ministry said: “The safety lock on our trigger has been released,” and North Korean forces will mobilize “all means of attack” to eliminate threats from the southern side of the border.
Regarding these accusations South Korea categorically denied any involvement. During a parliamentary hearing, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was asked about such actions and he said that the South had not done so but it was not clear if whether it was about military or civilian drones. The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff also issued a statement urging North Korea to hold its fire and vowing to defend South Koreans with force if needed.
North Korea has been very conscious of such comments about its political system and has defended itself violently in the past. This year, the North has sent thousands of balloons full of waste material into the South in response to activists who flew propaganda leaflets into the North.
The current accusations however emerged as the relationship between the two countries continues to get worst with North Korea vowing to sever all communications and transport links with South Korea in perpetuity. Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, has also upped his belligerent talk and has started missile tests and threats of nuclear war.
In response to these threats both the United States and South Korea have increased joint military cooperation and improved the levels of deterrence. Analysts speculate that the current north Korean actions are an aggressive posture to force the U.S. into accepting it as a nuclear power, in order to negotiate on an even basis with Pyongyang.
