Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, issued a press statement condemning a recent drone flight that crossed into North Korean airspace from South Korea.
In her statement, Kim emphasized that the Seoul authorities “cannot evade their responsibility for the grave violation of our sovereignty.” She noted that on January 10, the South Korean Ministry of Defence had publicly stated that the drone incident was not a military operation and that it intended to investigate the event as a civilian act. Kim described this as a “wise choice for survival” by the South Korean authorities.
Kim warned that any future provocations from Seoul would bring “terrible consequences.” She further stressed that the current South Korean government cannot dismiss the incident as the responsibility of the previous administration, referring to the drone flight that occurred during the tenure of the former Yoon regime. She described the event as a “grave infringement upon the DPRK’s inviolable sovereignty,” regardless of which administration was in power at the time.
The statement also criticized South Korea’s attempt to classify the drone as a civilian object, noting that it was “not the type of information we want to know.” Kim highlighted that the drone collected video data related to sensitive locations, including a uranium mine, a settling pond, the former Kaesong industrial zone, and North Korean border guard posts, and that it carried a flight plan and records requiring explanation.
Kim further condemned the South Korean military for claiming ignorance of the drone’s flight, despite its advertised capabilities, including real-time drone detection systems, multi-layer defense networks, and coordination between civilians, government, and military. She called such claims “unreasonable” and predicted they would face criticism from the South Korean population.
Referring to the 2024 drone incident over Pyongyang, Kim warned that the South Korean authorities had already gained a “reputation” for impudence and that attempts to classify such actions as civilian deeds would not absolve them of responsibility. She also suggested that future drone activity from North Korean civilian organizations could mirror the incident.
Kim concluded her statement by describing the South Korean authorities in stark terms, saying that the recent drone incident “helped us to have clearer understanding of the ROK, a group of hooligans and scrap, once again.”
