North Korea published a photo of the drone sent by South Korea

North Korea stated that if its sovereignty is once again violated by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sent by South Korea, it would be considered a ‘declaration of war’ and that ‘immediate retaliatory strikes would be carried out.’

Military tensions between South Korea and North Korea have been escalating recently. The North Korean government published a photo of a UAV sent by South Korea. In a statement from the North Korean Ministry of Public Security, it was noted that a UAV had fallen in the Hyongjesan area near Pyongyang on October 13, and experts were conducting examinations on the wreckage. The statement said, ‘As a result, it has been scientifically proven that the UAV came from South Korea. Experts have determined that the UAV is a long-range light reconnaissance UAV belonging to the South Korean Drone Operations Command and is of the same type as the UAV introduced to the public on South Korean Armed Forces Day.’ It was mentioned that the UAV might have been used 5-7 days before its discovery, stating, ‘Considering its shape, possible flight duration, and features such as the brochure distribution box attached to the underside of the fuselage, there is a high probability that this is the UAV that drops propaganda brochures over the skies of Pyongyang. However, no conclusion has been reached yet.’

“Troops have been put on war readiness”

It was emphasized that the act of South Korean military UAVs dropping propaganda brochures over the skies of Pyongyang constitutes a ‘hostile provocation’ that violates North Korea’s sovereignty. As a precaution, it was stated that all units in the capital and along the border have been put on ‘war readiness’. The statement noted that if North Korea’s sovereignty is violated again by land, air, or sea, it would be considered a ‘declaration of war’ and warned that ‘immediate retaliatory strikes would be carried out’ in such a case.

UAV tensions had occurred

The North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that South Korean unmanned aerial vehicles carrying propaganda brochures had been detected over Pyongyang. The South Korean Ministry of Defense initially denied the claim but later stated that civil society organizations opposing North Korea could be responsible for the incident. Following the tensions, North Korea announced that it had blown up the land and railway connections that linked it with South Korea.