A plastic bag containing various items, including what seemed to be trash, crossed the inter-Korean border with a balloon believed to have been dispatched by North Korea, as seen in Seoul. – Reuters file
South Korea's military declared on Monday that it is 'fully prepared' to respond after North Korea instructed its border troops to ready for firing, escalating tensions over drone flights to Pyongyang. The nuclear-armed North accused Seoul of deploying drones over its capital to drop propaganda leaflets filled with 'inflammatory rumors and garbage', and warned that any further detection of drones would be considered 'a declaration of war'. South Korea's military previously denied involvement in these flights, with speculation pointing to activist groups in the South, known for sending propaganda and US currency northward via balloons. However, North Korea insists that Seoul is officially responsible, announcing that it has instructed eight artillery brigades, already on high alert, 'to get fully ready to open fire', and has reinforced air observation posts in Pyongyang.
'Our military is closely monitoring the situation and standing fully ready for the North's provocations,' said Lee Seong-joon, a spokesman for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), during a press briefing. Pyongyang claims that propaganda drones have trespassed into the capital's airspace three times recently, with Kim Jong Un's sister threatening a 'horrible disaster' if they continue. In a statement on Monday, Kim Yo Jong described the drone flights as 'an unpardonable, malicious challenge to our state'. She has issued three consecutive statements urging South Korea's military to take measures to prevent further alleged violations of North Korean airspace.
The JCS neither confirmed nor denied that Seoul's military was behind the drone incursions, instead labeling the North's claim 'shameless'. 'The North can't even confirm the origin of a drone in the Pyongyang sky but is blaming the South—all the while keeping silent on its own drone activity southward on ten occasions,' Lee said. South Korea's military also noted that the North seemed to be preparing to carry out explosions on roads connected to the South, following Pyongyang's announcement that it would seal the border. Last week, the North's Korean People's Army (KPA) declared that the measure would 'completely separate' North Korea's territory from the South. South Korean JCS spokesman Lee suggested that the road blasts could occur 'as early as today'. North Korea has been retaliating against the South with trash-carrying balloons, in response to propaganda launched by activists in the South.
Seoul's unification ministry speculated that the drone claims might be an attempt by the North to strengthen internal solidarity. Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson at the ministry, suggested that the North could also be seeking an excuse 'to stage provocations or create anxiety and confusion in our society'. One expert posited that it was 'more likely' that the drones were launched by activists in the South rather than fabricated by the North, as Pyongyang's statements effectively admitted to a breach in air security. 'Even if they were trying to stage this, it would expose a significant vulnerability in their skies,' said Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Kim Jong Un's regime maintains power through total control of information, with most North Koreans having no access to the internet, cell phones, or outside information. 'If sending information via drones becomes a regular activity, it would be a serious issue for North Korea,' Yang noted. Former National Intelligence Service chief Park Jie-won stated on a radio show on Monday that the government's refusal to confirm or deny involvement in the drones was an admission of guilt. 'The appropriate response is to say that we cannot confirm anything. In my view, this is essentially an acknowledgement.'
