North Korea is intensifying its threats following allegations that a South Korean drone has infiltrated its airspace over Pyongyang. The Korean People’s Army General Staff has placed front-line units on heightened alert. At the same time, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense issued a late-night statement warning that any further provocations would be deemed a declaration of war.
According to the state-run media, Korean Central News Agency, the General Staff directed artillery units near the border to enter a state of full combat readiness on Saturday.
North Korea has been making alarming statements almost daily, this time raising tensions by implying the possibility of armed conflict. Just a day after Kim Yo Jong, deputy director of the ruling Workers’ Party, warned that a severe disaster could occur if the situation recurred, the country issued operational readiness directives.
The directive reportedly includes transitioning eight fully equipped artillery brigades to a firing-ready state and completing various operational support tasks.
The report highlighted that South Korea’s significant breach of Pyongyang’s sovereignty has heightened military tensions, creating a volatile situation that could ignite at any moment.
In response to these developments, North Korea has also ramped up surveillance and monitoring efforts, increasing the number of observation posts in Pyongyang.
An hour after the General Staff’s announcement, Kim Yo Jong issued a separate statement demanding measures to prevent a recurrence, supported by comments from a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense.
The North Korean authorities expressed suspicions that South Korean military forces are complicit in the drone provocations, warning that any future appearance of a drone would be considered a declaration of war, prompting a corresponding response.
Meanwhile, the South Korean military has maintained a stance of strategic ambiguity, indicating that they cannot confirm whether a drone has breached the airspace over Pyongyang. They also asserted that any aggression from North Korea would lead to the regime’s downfall.
