Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, speaks during the national emergency action review meeting to combat the epidemic in Pyongyang, August 10, 2022, in this photo taken from the KCNA website the next day. Yonhap
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Thursday that she “highly appreciates” South Korea’s pledge to prevent repeated drone strikes on the North, and pledged to strengthen the country’s vigilance along the border with the South.
Kim Yo Jong, deputy director of the party administration, issued the statement via the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) a day after Unification Minister Chung Dong-yong expressed “regret” over the drone strikes in the North and announced a series of measures aimed at preventing a recurrence.
“I highly appreciate Chung Dong-yong, Minister of Unification of the Republic of Korea, officially recognizing the provocative intrusion of a drone produced by the Republic of Korea into our country’s airspace, once again expressing his regret and willingness to prevent a recurrence,” Kim said in the statement.
Republic of Korea means Republic of Korea, the official name of South Korea.
At a press conference the previous day, Chung acknowledged that based on the investigation’s findings, drones had been sent to the North by South Korean personnel four times between last September and February, including two occasions confirmed by North Korea.
Chung said Seoul will review and seek to reinstate the suspended 2018 military agreement with North Korea, which aims to halt hostilities along the border between the two Koreas and between their militaries, including the no-fly zone, as part of measures to prevent a repeat of drone strikes in the North.
In January, Pyongyang accused Seoul of sending drones equipped with surveillance equipment in September and on January 4, prompting the South Korean government to launch an official investigation.
Kim warned that South Korea would face “severe consequences” if such a “violation of sovereignty” was repeated, “regardless of who is the mastermind and by what means it is carried out. This is not a threat but a strong warning.”
She claimed that ensuring the prevention of repeated violations of North Korea’s sovereignty is “for the full existence of the Republic of Korea.”
She also warned that the border with “the enemy must be closely guarded,” adding that “our military leadership will take a step to increase vigilance in all sectors along the southern border with the Republic of Korea.”
At a year-end party meeting in December 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared inter-Korean relations to be that between “two countries hostile to each other” and has since pursued hostile policies toward Seoul.
