North Korea Warns South Korea: 'Next Drone Incursion Will Result In Retaliation'

Seoul: North Korea has accused South Korea of deploying drones to its capital Pyongyang to drop anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets and has threatened a military response if such actions continue. South Korea has denied these claims.

In a statement released Friday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry reported that South Korean drones were spotted over Pyongyang on October 3, as well as on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

The ministry condemned these alleged flights as a violation of North Korea's "sacred" sovereignty and a threat to its security, labeling them a "dangerous provocation" that could lead to armed conflict or even war. It stated that North Korean forces would prepare "all means of attack" capable of targeting the southern border and the South Korean military, promising to respond without warning if South Korean drones were detected again.

North Korea Warns South Korea, Says Seoul Provocation Unacceptable

“The safety lock on our trigger has now been released,” the ministry said. “We will be prepared for everything and will be watching. The criminals should no longer gamble with the lives of their citizens.” Asked about the North Korean claims during a parliamentary hearing, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun told lawmakers, “We have not done that.” He said he was still trying to assess the situation and didn't elaborate further.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Kim was referring to South Korean military drones, or also drones possibly operated by South Korean civilians.

North Korea is highly sensitive to any external criticism of its authoritarian regime led by Kim Jong Un and his family's dynastic rule. Since May, North Korea has launched thousands of balloons carrying paper waste, plastic, and other debris into South Korea, claiming this is a retaliation against South Korean activists who sent balloons with anti-North Korean propaganda across the border, according to a report in news agency AP. 

In response to this balloon campaign, South Korea's military has used loudspeakers at the border to broadcast propaganda and K-pop music into North Korea.

These psychological warfare tactics have heightened tensions already exacerbated by Kim's weapons tests and threats of nuclear conflict directed at Washington and Seoul. In response, the allies have bolstered their military exercises and increased trilateral cooperation with Japan, while enhancing their nuclear deterrence strategies involving U.S. strategic assets.

North Korea Announces Permanent Sealing of Border 

On Wednesday, North Korea announced plans to permanently seal its border with South Korea and construct front-line defense structures to counter what it termed the "confrontational hysteria" of South Korean and U.S. forces.

North Korea's military declared through state media that it would "completely cut off roads and railways" connected to South Korea and strengthen its defenses in relevant areas. The North labeled these actions as a "self-defensive measure" to prevent war and safeguard its security, accusing its adversaries of escalating their confrontational behavior. North Korea specifically pointed to military exercises in South Korea, the deployment of U.S. strategic assets, and aggressive rhetoric from its rivals.

Experts suggest that Kim's push for nuclear capabilities is designed to compel the United States to recognize North Korea as a nuclear power, allowing the North to negotiate from a position of strength regarding security and economic concessions.

In written responses to The Associated Press this month, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol indicated that North Korea is likely to carry out major provocations, such as a nuclear test or intercontinental ballistic missile launch, around the U.S. presidential election in November to capture Washington's attention.

Yoon also condemned North Korea's balloon campaign, warning that the North would face "consequences that it will find difficult to withstand" if its activities threaten the safety of South Koreans, although he did not specify what measures his government might take.