Jeong Dongyoung Hints at Apology to North Korea over Drone Incident... Experts Urge Restraint

As North Korea demanded an apology from the South Korean government regarding an unmanned aerial vehicle incident of unclear origin, Minister of Unification Jeong Dongyoung stated on January 14, "We will take appropriate measures as soon as the results of the investigation are available." His remarks, which suggest the possibility of a government-level apology to North Korea, are expected to spark controversy.

Jeong Dongyoung, Minister of Unification. Photo by Yonhap News

At a briefing held at the Inter-Korean Dialogue Headquarters on the same day, Minister Jeong said, "The fact-finding teams of the military and police are moving swiftly." He also referred to the recent drone incident as well as the "Pyongyang drone deployment" case that occurred under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in October 2024, stating, "Just as North Korea's top leader expressed 'deep regret' and apologized in 2020 after the shooting of a South Korean civil servant in the West Sea, our government will also take appropriate measures in response." Although Minister Jeong did not specify what these "appropriate measures" would entail, it appears that a government-level apology to North Korea is being considered. Regarding this, an official from the Ministry of Unification clarified that "the President is not being singled out as the responsible party" and that "the government is the agent of any such measures."

The idea of the current government apologizing for incidents that occurred under the previous administration is politically sensitive and requires careful consideration. In particular, since the recently disputed drone has been confirmed as non-military, the prevailing opinion is that a government-level apology would be difficult to accept. Hong Min, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, warned, "There is a risk that public opinion in South Korea may form around the idea that the government is passively following North Korea's demands. In fact, for the state to acknowledge such a provocation would not only give North Korea significant leverage, but could also solidify North Korea's aggressive stance in inter-Korean relations overall."

Regarding the sudden statement by Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers' Party, which was released around 10 p.m. the previous night, he analyzed, "On the surface, the drone incident is the pretext, but it also has the dual purpose of opposing denuclearization." Earlier, the leaders of South Korea and Japan had issued a joint press statement at around 2 p.m. in Japan, which included the phrase "complete denuclearization." North Korea is believed to have hurriedly released its statement in response. In her statement, Kim Yo-jong criticized, "If we are to speak of Seoul's various daydreams about 'improving inter-Korean relations,' all of them are nothing but unachievable delusions."

Kim Yo-jong had also issued a statement on January 11. When an official from the Ministry of Unification commented that "there is room for easing tensions and communication between the two Koreas," North Korea released another statement just two days later. Some point out that the government's premature "optimistic interpretation" of North Korea's actions could provide justification for further provocations. Hong Min advised, "The South Korean government needs to respond in a restrained, dry, and cautious manner. It should refrain from emotional responses or overinterpretation, and manage the situation based on the principle of suspending mutually hostile acts." Im Eulchul, Professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, also commented, "If the Ministry of Unification immediately interprets Kim Yo-jong's statement as 'room for communication,' it could send the wrong signal to North Korea. The investigation results should be disclosed transparently, but a calm and restrained response is the best way to neutralize North Korea's 'taming' tactics."

Meanwhile, Minister Jeong commented on North Korea's repeated "statements against the South," saying, "Since all channels of contact and communication between the two Koreas have been severed, both sides are communicating their intentions through public statements, which is an extremely unnatural and abnormal situation." He added, "I hope that inter-Korean communication lines and channels will be restored as soon as possible and that dialogue can resume."