North Korean leader's sister threatens South Korea with drone flight | world news

South Korea's defense minister initially denied the allegations, but South Korea's military later revised its response, saying it could not confirm whether the North's claims were true.

In comments carried by state media, Kim, one of his brother's top foreign policy officials, said the South Korean military's ambiguous statements should be taken as evidence that it was the main perpetrator or accomplice in the incident.

If the military passively watches as its citizens use drones – a widely recognized versatile military tool – to violate another country's sovereignty, thereby increasing the risk of armed conflict with potential adversaries, this would amount to willful consent and collusion, he said.

When a South Korean drone is discovered again in the skies above our capital, a terrible disaster will surely occur. Personally, I hope this doesn't happen.

South Korea's military and government did not immediately respond to Kim's remarks.

Tensions between the Koreas are currently at their worst in years, as both North Korean missile tests and joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States gather pace. Inter-Korean hostilities have escalated in recent months amid a Cold War-style psychological warfare campaign.

Since May, North Korea has sent thousands of balloons carrying waste paper, plastic and other garbage to the South in what it called retaliation against South Korean civilians who flew balloons across the border with anti-Korean propaganda.

South Korea's military responded to the North's balloon campaign by using border loudspeakers to broadcast propaganda and K-pop into North Korea.

North Korea is highly sensitive to any criticism from outside the authoritarian regime of leader Kim Jong Un and his family's dynastic rule.

South Korean officials have expressed concerns that North Korea could increase pressure on Seoul and Washington ahead of November's U.S. presidential election. Experts say Kim's long-term goal is to eventually force Washington to accept North Korea as a nuclear power and negotiate security and economic concessions from the superpower.

In a written response to questions from the Associated Press this month, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said North Korea was likely preparing serious provocations for the U.S. election that could include detonating a nuclear device or flight testing an intercontinental ballistic missile. bullet. , trying to get Washington's attention.