Shortly after accusing Seoul of bringing drones into its capital Pyongyang, North Korea ordered its forces near the South Korean border to prepare for immediate firing.
North Korea accused Seoul of deploying drones into its capital, Pyongyang, in what it called a “war provocation,” and for a brief while ordered its forces along the South Korean border to stand ready to fire.
According to a report released on Sunday by the official Korean Central News Agency, the general staff of North Korea’s army instructed artillery units over the weekend to “get fully ready to open fire” in the event that a similar invasion occurs again.
According to the statement, the order was issued on October 12 and remained in effect until October 13. According to North Korea, Seoul dropped pamphlets criticizing the Kim Jong Un government three times this month within Pyongyang using drones.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea declared that it is keeping an eye on North Korea’s actions and prepared to respond to any provocations. It has refrained from confirming if it crossed the border with drones.
“The rubbish balloons of North Korea are the root of this whole issue. The JCS issued a statement saying, “We sternly advise North Korea to stop sending the obscene and filthy trash balloons.”
Since late May, North Korea has been demonstrating its unhappiness at South Korea’s joint military drills with the US and other actions along the border, which Pyongyang has long claimed pose a danger to its sovereignty, by sending hundreds of trash-laden balloons across the border. Some of the balloons have started fires, which has been a problem for Seoul and the neighboring areas.
However, South Korea has decided against taking them out due to concern that gunfire could disperse potentially dangerous materials or inflict collateral damage in densely populated regions.
Authorities in South Korea are on high alert for any further escalation of the tensions along the heavily militarized border, which have been heightened by the most recent occurrences. A South Korean official issued a warning in July, speculating that North Korea might be planning a nuclear test in the run-up to the US presidential election.
Eight North Korean artillery brigades at the border were instructed to be “fully armed at full wartime strength, while other military units were also put on alert to intensify monitoring,” according to KCNA, in accordance with the most recent directive.
North Korea’s defense ministry declared in a statement that “the infiltration of drones” above Pyongyang “constitutes an undeniable war provocation” and that the nation will take action against any such invasions.
North Korea’s leader Kim was spotted visiting a plant at the heart of a program that has been a source of contention with the US for more than 20 years. Last month, the country revealed its first images of a facility used to enrich uranium for atomic bombs.
Unmanned aerial vehicle development has been accelerating in both Koreas; in August, North Korea unveiled a suicide attack drone. Although it is yet unclear to what extent North Korea is capable of using drones, Kim has given the development of aerial and marine drones top priority.
When Pyongyang dispatched five UAVs across the border in 2022—one of which flew close to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Seoul office—South Korea was alerted to the dangers posed by drones. The South Korean military attempted, but was unable, to fire down the devices. A contributing aspect to the complexity was the unwillingness to use force in densely populated places.
