North Korea Accuses South Korea of Drone Leaflet Campaign
North Korea has accused South Korea of flying drones over Pyongyang to scatter anti-North Korean leaflets, calling it a possible act leading to armed conflict. The South Korean military cannot confirm these claims and instead noted North Korean provocations with trash balloons. Both Koreas have a history of tension, as evidenced by a recent December incident involving North Korean drones entering South Korean airspace.
North Korea has accused South Korea of deploying drones to distribute anti-North Korean leaflets over its capital, Pyongyang, labeling the act a significant political and military provocation.
This alleged activity has the potential to escalate into armed conflict, according to Pyongyang.
While South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff could not confirm these allegations, they noted North Korea's ongoing practice of launching balloons filled with trash into the South's airspace as provocations.
North Korea's foreign ministry asserts that the drones were flown over Pyongyang at night recently, escalating calls for retaliatory action.
Photos released by North Korean state media purportedly show drones dropping leaflet bundles.
The South Korean military, responding cautiously, has denied responsibility for any leaflet-dropping activity initiated by private citizens.
This situation develops as tensions between the two Koreas remain high, following an incident in December where North Korean drones crossed into South Korean territory, leading to military responses from Seoul.
Both countries remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.