North Korea’s defense ministry claimed that the United States and South Korea are increasing their surveillance activities near the inter-Korean border, warning that they will respond if their sovereignty and safety are threatened, state media KCNA reported on Sunday.
North Korea’s deputy defense minister Kim Gang Il stated that the US had flown at least 16 of its RC-135 and U-2S strategic reconnaissance aircraft and RQ-4B drone over the Korean peninsula from May 13 to 24.
He also accused South Korea’s navy and coast guard of heightening military tension by increasing patrols and frequently crossing the maritime border.
Kim also condemned propaganda leaflets sent in balloons from South Korea, describing it as a “dangerous provocation.”
North Korean defectors and activists in South Korea often send balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets, as well as food, medicine, money, mini radios, and USB sticks loaded with South Korean news and dramas.
“Even now, the US and South Korean puppet air forces are continuously mobilizing various aircraft with little or no time gap throughout the day, carrying out aerial reconnaissance activities at a level comparable to wartime situations,” Kim said in a statement published by KCNA.
Those activities seriously infringe on North Korea’s national sovereignty and security, and will not be met with “offensive” countermeasures, he said.
“We will act immediately when the nation’s sovereignty and security interests are violated,” Kim added.
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