South Korea’s military says ‘fully ready’ as drone tensions soar

In response to North Korea’s instruction for troops along its border to get ready to fire over drone flights to Pyongyang, the South Korean military stated on Monday that it was “fully ready” to respond.

The nuclear-armed North has threatened to view Seoul’s actions as “a declaration of war” and accused Seoul of using drones to lob propaganda pamphlets containing “inflammatory rumours and rubbish” over its city. The North made these accusations on Sunday.

Prior to Seoul’s military’s denial that it was responsible for the flights, activist groups in the South were the focus of local conjecture. These groups have long transferred US dollars and propaganda northward via balloon.

However, the North maintains that Seoul is formally at fault, declaring late on Sunday that it had ordered eight artillery units that were already in combat “to get fully ready to open fire” and that it had strengthened air observation positions in Pyongyang.

“Our military is closely monitoring the situation and standing fully ready for the North’s provocations,” Lee Seong-joon, a spokesman for the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), told a press briefing.

Pyongyang claims propaganda drones have infiltrated the capital’s airspace three times in recent days, with leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister threatening a “horrible disaster” unless they stop.

Kim Yo Jong described the drone flights as “an unpardonable, malicious challenge to our state” in a statement released early on Monday.

She has made three identical remarks back-to-back, urging the military of South Korea to devise ways to stop purported violations of North Korean airspace from happening again.

The JCS referred to the North’s assertion as “shameless” on Monday rather than providing confirmation or denial that Seoul’s military was in charge of bringing drones across the border.

“The North can’t even confirm the origin of a drone in the Pyongyang sky but is placing blame on the South — all the while keeping a shut mouth on its sending of a drone southward on ten occasions,” spokesman Lee said.