‘Will Pay a Heavy Price’: North Korea Claims South Korean Spy Drone Breached Airspace, Seoul Rejects Charge — What’s Really Going On?

North Korea has accused South Korea of flying drones across the heavily fortified border. This has started a fresh escalation in tensions between the two neighbours on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea’s military issued the allegations on Saturday, claiming that South Korean drones had violated its airspace this week and warning Seoul of serious consequences for what Pyongyang called “unpardonable hysteria.”

In a statement carried by North Korean state media from the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army, the North said its forces had used electronic warfare systems to bring down a South Korean drone that was flying over a border town on Sunday. The military claimed the drone was fitted with two cameras that filmed unspecified areas within North Korea before it was disabled.

The North also alleged that a second drone entered its airspace on September 27 last year and was forced to crash after electronic strikes. According to the statement, authorities recovered video data showing major objects in North Korea from that aircraft.

North Korea says ROK will pay a price 

In highly charged language, the North Korean statement said, “We strongly denounce the hooligans’ serial outrageous encroachment upon our sovereignty and undisguised provocative acts against us,” adding that “The ROK military warmongers will be surely forced to pay a dear price for their unpardonable hysteria.”

South Korea’s Defence Ministry promptly denied operating any drones on the dates cited, noting that it does not even possess the types of drones North Korea described. A senior ministry official, Kim Hong‑Cheol, said authorities would investigate “whether civilians flew the drones found in North Korea,” and emphasised that Seoul has “no intentions of provoking North Korea” while continuing efforts to build trust and ease tensions.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of ongoing diplomatic strain. South Korea’s liberal President Lee Jae Myung, who took office in June, has sought to reopen talks with Pyongyang and has even asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help mediate animosities, but North Korea has so far bluntly rejected these offers. 

Drone flights have been a recurring point of contention. There have been accusations from both sides regarding drone incursions in recent years, North Korea accused South Korea of flying drones over Pyongyang to drop propaganda leaflets in 2024. 

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