This image, carried on Monday, and appears to have been created by the North, shows the flight path of a drone that Pyongyang claimed was sent by the South Korean military. North Korea said it has analyzed the flight control program of the drone that crashed after intruding into the sky of Pyongyang on Oct. 8, and the flight log showed the drone took off from South Korea's border island of Baengnyeong. (KCNA)
North Korea said Monday that its analysis of the flight log of a drone that crashed in Pyongyang earlier this month showed it took off from a South Korean border island in the Yellow Sea, claiming that the South Korean military was behind the alleged drone incursions.
North Korea had previously asserted that South Korean drones carrying anti-North Korea propaganda leaflets were detected over Pyongyang three times this month, threatening to respond with force if such flights happen again.
Announcing the final results of its probe into the drone incursions, North Korea's defense ministry said it analyzed the flight control program from the remains of a drone that crashed in Pyongyang on Oct. 8, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
The North claimed the drone took off from South Korea's border island of Baengnyeong at 11:25:30 p.m. on Oct. 8 and entered North Korean airspace.
The drone allegedly scattered "political motivational rubbish" over areas between North Korea's foreign ministry building and Sungri metro station in Pyongyang at 1:32:08 a.m., and near the defense ministry at 1:35:11 a.m. on Oct. 9, according to KCNA.
North Korea released an illustration showing the flight route of the drone, marked by a green line, which rose clockwise along the western coastline from Baengnyeong Island, entered Pyongyang's airspace, and returned along the same path.
According to KCNA, the drone's 238 flight logs mostly indicated activity within South Korean territory, except for Oct. 8, and it claimed the drone had records of a plan to scatter leaflets over Pyongyang.
The results "clearly proved the most vulgar and shameless provocative nature of the ROK military gangsters who have persistently evaded the responsibility for the illegal intrusion by their drone into the sky above the capital city of the DPRK," a spokesperson at North Korea's defense ministry said.
North Korea warned that "the source of all misfortunes and provocations will disappear forever by the merciless offensive" if South Korea infringes upon its sovereignty again.
South Korea’s military said it could not confirm North Korea’s drone claims. In response to North Korea's threat, Seoul’s defense ministry warned that the North would face "the end of its regime" if it causes any harm to South Koreans.
Meanwhile, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a statement mocking South Korea's lack of response to Pyongyang's drone claims.
She suggested a hypothetical scenario where an unidentified drone flew over Seoul, scattering leaflets critical of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
"The military, individual organization or any individual of the DPRK did not let fly a drone. We can not confirm it and it is worthless to give answer to it," Kim said.
"This is an assumed situation. Under such situation, I'd like to see once how the dirty curs in Seoul bark. The world may also be curious about it." (Yonhap)
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