On January 10, tensions escalated over North Korea’s claims of infiltrating South Korean airspace with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The conservative People Power Party accused the Lee Jae Myung administration of encouraging North Korean provocations through its unprincipled and hypocritical approach to national security. In response, the liberal Democratic Party of Korea dismissed these criticisms as irresponsible political attacks that only serve to heighten security concerns, calling for an end to partisan bickering.
Park Seong-hoon, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated in a press release that this incident reaffirms the Lee administration’s lack of principled security policies and its tendency to politicize national defense issues.
He argued that if the Democratic Party’s logic about the previous administration sending drones to North Korea to provoke attacks and justify martial law were applied consistently, President Lee would also be subject to investigation and trial for violating national security laws.
Park emphasized that national security is not a political tool. It must respond to North Korean threats firmly and decisively through the Republic of Korea (ROK)-U.S. alliance while proactively preventing potential provocations. Instead of begging for dialogue or staging fake peace shows, the Lee administration needs to reassure the public with a strong and consistent stance towards North Korea.
Spokesperson Jo Yong-sul also commented, noting North Korea’s irrational behavior in glorifying its own aggressive military actions while launching massive propaganda campaigns against South Korean UAV operations.
Jo criticized the administration’s approach, stating that by discouraging military responses, the government has reduced this UAV operation to a mere intelligence-gathering exercise, while similar actions by the previous administration were treated as potential violations of national security laws. This clearly demonstrates a double standard in security policies.
Democratic Party spokesperson Baek Seung-ah held a press conference at the National Assembly, stating that the Ministry of National Defense had officially confirmed that no South Korean UAVs were operating at the time of North Korea’s alleged incident. She condemned the People Power Party for making unfounded accusations and even suggesting that President Lee could be subject to investigation and trial.
Baek criticized the opposition, saying that launching political attacks against the government and military based solely on North Korea’s unilateral claims, without even basic fact-checking, is irresponsible and only serves to increase public anxiety about national security. Jumping to political conclusions and weaponizing security issues will only further unsettle the public.
She added that national security should not be exploited to instill fear for political gain. Basing political attacks on North Korean claims alone risks inadvertently supporting their propaganda and psychological warfare efforts.
Baek assured that the government is prioritizing public safety and thoroughly investigating the situation through military and intelligence channels. She emphasized the need for calm, rational judgment and a focus on national interests rather than unverified speculation and political agitation.
The spokesperson concluded by stating that the Democratic Party would firmly oppose any attempts to undermine national security with baseless claims that alarm the public, stressing that politicizing security issues is unacceptable.
North Korea had claimed on January 4 and in September of the previous year that it had shot down South Korean drones that had infiltrated its airspace. The South Korean Ministry of National Defense has categorically denied these allegations, stating that they are false.