South Korea will take action based on the outcome of an ongoing investigation into alleged drone incursions claimed by North Korea, the country’s unification minister said on Wednesday, amid renewed tensions between the two Koreas.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young made the remarks during a policy briefing by agencies under his ministry, a day after Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, again demanded that Seoul apologise for violating the North’s sovereignty.
North Korea’s military has accused South Korea of sending drones equipped with surveillance devices across the border in September and again on January 4, alleging a breach of its airspace. Seoul has denied the claims, stating that its military did not dispatch the drones or operate the models displayed by the North.
Following the allegations, South Korea launched an investigation involving both military and police authorities, including the possibility that civilians may have been responsible for any drone activity.
“The joint military-police fact-finding team is working swiftly,” Chung said. “Once the results are released, the government will take corresponding action.”
Chung also criticised Pyongyang for raising the issue through media statements rather than established inter-Korean communication channels, calling the approach “extremely unnatural and abnormal”. He urged the restoration of suspended contact mechanisms and a resumption of dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang.
“I hope the severed inter-Korean communication networks can be restored as soon as possible and dialogue resumed,” he said.