After accusing Seoul of launching drones into its capital, Pyongyang, in what it described as a “war provocation,” North Korea temporarily ordered its forces along the South Korean border to stand ready to fire.
The official Korean Central News Agency said on Sunday that North Korea’s army’s general staff ordered artillery units to “get fully ready to open fire” over the weekend in preparation for an urgent attack on enemy targets if a similar infiltration occurs again.
According to the statement, the order was issued on October 12 and remained in effect until October 13. Seoul allegedly launched drones into Pyongyang three times this month to deliver leaflets criticising the Kim Jong Un government, according to North Korea.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea stated that they are keeping an eye on North Korea’s actions and are prepared to respond to any provocations. It has refused to confirm if it crossed the border using drones.
“North Korea’s rubbish balloons are the root of the entire problem. The JCS issued a statement saying, “We strongly warn North Korea to stop sending the filthy and vulgar trash balloons.”
Since late May, in retaliation for South Korea’s joint military exercises with the United States and other border-related actions that Pyongyang has long said pose a danger to its sovereignty, North Korea has floated hundreds of balloons loaded with rubbish across the border. Some of the balloons have started fires, making them an annoyance for Seoul and the neighbouring areas.
However, South Korea has not shot them down because of concerns about potentially dangerous materials spreading or bullets inflicting collateral damage in densely populated regions.
Tensions along the tightly guarded border have increased as a result of the recent incidents, and South Korean authorities are on high alert for any further escalation. A South Korean official issued a warning in July that North Korea might be thinking about a nuclear test nearer the US presidential election.
Eight border-based North Korean artillery brigades were directed to be “fully armed at full wartime strength, while other military units were also put on alert to intensify monitoring” by the most recent directive, according to KCNA.
According to a statement from North Korea’s defence ministry, “the infiltration of drones” above Pyongyang “constitutes an undeniable war provocation,” and the nation would take action against any such invasions.
North Korean leader Kim was shown at a plant at the heart of a programme that has been a source of tension with the United States for more than two decades when the country published its first images of a uranium enrichment facility for atomic bombs last month.
North Korea unveiled a suicide attack drone in August, and both Koreas have been stepping up their unmanned aerial vehicle projects. Although the extent of North Korea’s drone capabilities is still unknown, Kim has made it a top priority to develop drones for use in the air and at sea.
When Pyongyang deployed five UAVs across the border in 2022, including one that flew close to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Seoul office, South Korea was alert to the dangers posed by drones. The South Korean military attempted but was unable, to fire down the devices. Reluctance to discharge explosives in densely inhabited regions was one problematic element.
