Ministry of National Defense: "The North Korean Regime That Threatens Public Safety Will Face Its End"

On the 13th, the Ministry of National Defense issued a statement warning North Korea, which has raised the threat level by claiming that South Korean drones infiltrated Pyongyang, saying, "If harm is done to the safety of our people, that day will clearly mark the end of the North Korean regime."

In a message sent to the press corps on the same day, the Ministry of National Defense criticized, "(Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un's younger sister) Kim Yo-jong's statement is a brazen act of provocation by North Korea, which has continuously carried out provocations and recently floated low-grade and petty garbage balloons, attempting to intimidate our people instead of showing remorse." It pointed out, "Kim Yo-jong harshly criticized with the phrase 'provocative acts infringing on another country's sovereignty,' but in fact, North Korea has already violated our airspace more than ten times." This includes incidents such as the 2022 North Korean drone airspace infiltration.

Unmanned drone and leaflets for North Korea disclosed by North Korea.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Furthermore, the Ministry stated, "North Korea is trying to cover up repeated failures, including the failed launch of a military reconnaissance satellite, by releasing garbage balloons and shifting the blame as if civilian groups' balloon launches toward the North were the cause." It added, "Apart from releasing garbage balloons, the North Korean regime has no proper breakthrough, and this statement is a typical trick to incite internal conflict and change the situation."

It continued, "North Korea, which has not even identified the party responsible for the so-called 'Pyongyang drone leaflet (flyer) distribution,' is calling the breach of Pyongyang airspace a 'terrible disaster' and 'attack posture,' which can only be seen as stemming from the insecurity felt by the dictatorship." It dismissed, "Especially revealing this fact even in the Rodong Sinmun and mentioning 'the people's vengeful fervor' is merely a ploy to exploit the hostility of North Korean residents who are weary of the Kim Jong-un family's false dictatorship."

The Ministry of National Defense urged, "The North Korean authorities should not be terrified by a single 'drone leaflet' of unknown origin falling, but should stop the internationally embarrassing garbage balloons first."

Earlier, on the 11th, North Korea threatened through a major statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claiming that South Korean drones infiltrated Pyongyang airspace late at night on March 3rd, 9th, and 10th to distribute anti-North leaflets, warning, "We are putting all offensive capabilities on standby and sternly warn as a final ultimatum." When Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun took a strategically ambiguous stance, saying he could not confirm the facts of North Korea's claims, Kim Yo-jong stated on the 12th, "The moment a South Korean drone is found again over our capital's airspace, a terrible disaster will occur."