Drones over Pyongyang: A Potential Catalyst for Conflict

North Korea alleges that South Korean drones flew into Pyongyang, scattering anti-regime leaflets—a move it views as politically and militarily provocative. The North demands a halt to these actions, warning of possible retaliatory measures that could escalate into armed conflict between the two nations still technically at war.

North Korea has accused South Korea of deploying drones over its capital, Pyongyang, in what the North describes as a significant political and military provocation. According to a statement broadcasted by North Korean state media KCNA on Friday, these drones released anti-regime leaflets over Pyongyang during their nocturnal missions last week and this week.

The North Korean foreign ministry has asserted that this incursion necessitates retaliatory action while simultaneously urging the South Korean government to cease such operations. The ministry's statement highlighted the potentially grave consequences, warning that such provocations risk escalating into armed conflict or even war.

The two Koreas remain technically at war, having never signed a peace treaty following their 1950-53 conflict. The North has persistently criticized defectors in the South, who are known to launch balloons filled with leaflets and aid into North Korea, as "human scum."

(With inputs from agencies.)