Tensions rise: North Korea prepares artillery after drone dispute
The General Staff of the North Korean People's Army has issued a directive for the artillery corps near the border with South Korea to prepare for full-scale combat operations. This responds to South Korea's drones that have been dropping propaganda leaflets.
A spokesperson for North Korea's Ministry of National Defense stated that the preparatory directive for the operation included an order "to move eight fully armed artillery brigades to a state of war readiness, to fire readiness by 7 PM Eastern Time on Sunday, and to perform various tasks related to the security of the operation."
Accusations against South Korea
North Korean authorities accused South Korea of "infiltrating" Pyongyang using drones on Friday. An official statement from the KCNA agency declared that the military is ready to use "all methods of attack" in the event of another provocation. Seoul has stated it is unable to confirm the accuracy of these accusations.
North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement accusing South Korea of "committing a serious act of political and military provocation" by sending unmanned aerial vehicles to the Pyongyang area at night. The flights took place on October 3, 9, and 10, and involved the dropping of propaganda materials hostile to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, reported KCNA.
Media reports indicate that the leaflets contained information about the impending end of North Korea's regime.
Statements and reactions
The South Korean military stated on Friday that it cannot confirm the truthfulness of North Korea's accusations. Defense Minister Kim Jong Hjun, during a parliamentary hearing, said that the South "did not do this." He also mentioned that the situation is being assessed, but no details were provided.
"This is a blatant violation of sacred sovereignty and national security, as well as a brutal violation of international law, which requires a response in accordance with the right to self-defense," stated a communiqué from the Foreign Ministry in Pyongyang, quoted by KCNA.
North Korean authorities have issued an ultimatum to Seoul: "If the Republic of Korea carries out another provocative act of drone invasion on DPRK territory, there will be no such warning again, and immediate action will be taken."
Evidence presented by Pyongyang
South Korean agency Yonhap, quoting KCNA, published a frame of the night sky with two white spots. The larger, triangular one is labelled "drone," and the smaller one "leaflet package." The bottom right corner shows the date "2024/10/09" and the time "1:14 AM."
Situation at the border
South Korean organizations and activists working for human rights in North Korea have been sending balloons with leaflets containing critical content about the dictatorship and information about democracy in the South for years. These packages also contain food, medicine, media storage devices with South Korean films and music, and even bibles. Pyongyang has responded to these actions by sending over 5,000 balloons filled with bags of trash since the end of May.
History of the conflict
Relations between North and South Korea are currently at their worst in decades. The two countries have been technically at war for over 70 years, as the armed conflict from 1950-1953 ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. Late last year, Kim Jong Un ordered the acceleration of preparations for a "war that could start at any moment." At the beginning of June, Seoul suspended the 2018 military agreement with Pyongyang to ease military tensions.
