Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has demanded a detailed “explanation” from Seoul regarding a drone Pyongyang accused South Korea of flying over its territory, state media reported Sunday (Jan 11).
On Saturday, North Korea alleged that a drone crossed from the South Korean border county of Ganghwa into Kaesong in early January. The North released photos of wreckage from what it claimed was a shot-down craft.
Seoul’s defense ministry rejected the claim, stating the drone was not a model operated by its military.
In response, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung ordered a “swift and rigorous investigation” by a joint military-police team. Lee noted that if civilians were responsible, it would constitute a “serious crime that threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
However, Kim Yo Jong dismissed the military-civilian distinction.
“Clear is just the fact that the drone from the ROK violated the airspace of our country,” she said in a statement via KCNA. She concluded her message by describing South Korea as a “group of hooligans and scrap.”
Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, suggested that while the rhetoric is harsh, the statement indicates Pyongyang may prefer a diplomatic offensive over military escalation by holding Seoul authorities accountable for the breach.
