Sun Oct 13 14:00:00 UTC 2024: ## North Korea Threatens “Terrible Calamity” Over Alleged South Korean Drone Flights
**SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -** Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has accused South Korea of deliberately avoiding responsibility for alleged flights of South Korean drones over Pyongyang. In a statement published through state media, Kim warned of a “terrible calamity” if the drones are detected in North Korean airspace again.
The statement follows North Korea’s claim that South Korean drones carrying anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets were detected over Pyongyang on October 3rd and this past Wednesday and Thursday. Pyongyang has vowed to respond with “all means of attack” if the drones are detected again.
While South Korea’s defense minister initially denied the accusation, the military later admitted they couldn’t confirm the North’s claims. This vague response was seen as proof of South Korea’s complicity by Kim Yo Jong, who asserted that using drones to violate another country’s sovereignty “would amount to intentional acquiescence and collusion.”
Tensions between the two Koreas are at their worst in years, fueled by escalating missile tests from North Korea and increased military training exercises between South Korea and the US. This animosity has been further exacerbated by recent psychological warfare campaigns, with North Korea launching thousands of balloons carrying trash into South Korea in retaliation for anti-North Korean leaflets.
South Korean officials are concerned that North Korea might intensify pressure on Seoul and Washington ahead of the US presidential elections in November. Experts believe that North Korea’s ultimate goal is to be recognized as a nuclear power and negotiate security and economic concessions from a position of strength.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has stated that North Korea is likely preparing major provocations around the US election, including a potential nuclear test or intercontinental ballistic missile launch. This latest threat from Kim Yo Jong serves as a stark reminder of the volatile situation on the Korean Peninsula.
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