On Tuesday, Kim Yo-jong, deputy director of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, demanded that Seoul authorities acknowledge, apologize for, and take measures to prevent future occurrences of the alleged South Korean drone incursion into North Korean airspace.
In a statement released through the Korean Central News Agency, Kim warned that repeated provocations against the inviolable sovereignty of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will result in severe consequences.
Kim emphasized that this is not mere rhetoric or saber-rattling. The response to violations of the sovereignty and the resolve to defend it will go beyond proportional responses or official statements.
This is Kim’s second statement regarding the drone incident, following her initial remarks on January 11. In her earlier statement, she asserted that the origin of the drone – whether government or civilian – was irrelevant, stating that the undeniable fact is that a South Korean drone violated the national airspace, and South Korean authorities must provide a detailed explanation of this incident.
Her latest remarks demand an official apology and preventive measures, regardless of the ongoing joint military-police investigation. This demand echoes the Lee Jae Myung administration’s strict control over civilian organizations’ distribution of anti-North Korean leaflets.
Kim also criticized the South Korean Unification Ministry’s assessment of her first statement as pathetic. The Ministry had suggested that the government’s response could potentially ease tensions and open channels of communication between North and South Korea.
She dismissed Seoul’s aspirations for improved inter-Korean relations as impossible delusions, adding that no matter how much the South Korean leadership seeks international support or feigns goodwill, the reality of inter-Korean relations will remain unchanged.
Kim’s statement appears to underscore North Korea’s discomfort with Seoul’s consideration of using this incident as an opportunity for inter-Korean contact, particularly regarding the proposal for a joint investigation. Her words suggest that meaningful dialogue or engagement between the two Koreas is unlikely in the near future.