SEOUL, Jan 11 (Reuters) – North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency issued a statement on Sunday urging South Korea to investigate recent drone incidents in North Korean airspace.
Kim Jong-un said she appreciated Seoul’s wise decision to declare its official position that it had no intention of provocation and warned that any provocation would lead to dire situations.
North Korea’s military said on Saturday that drones were flown from South Korea earlier this month following another incursion into the country in September, with South Korea quickly responding that the drones were not operated by the military.
South Korea also said it would conduct a thorough investigation into civilians who may have operated drones, indicating that it had no intention of provocation.
“It is clear that South Korea’s drones violated our airspace,” Kim said. ROK stands for Republic of Korea, the official name of South Korea.
“No matter who the perpetrator is, whether it is a civil society organization or an individual, the authorities responsible for national security cannot escape responsibility,” she said.
South Korea’s National Security Office said on Sunday it would quickly release the results of an investigation into the drone incident and reiterated the government’s stance that it has no intention of provoking North Korea.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s government is seeking to improve relations with North Korea and has proposed military talks.
North Korea has not responded to any calls for dialogue with South Korea since leader Kim Jong Un defined the two Koreas as independent “hostile” countries in late 2023.
(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Diane Craft, Rod Nickel and Michael Perry)
