North Korea sends drones to South Korea, in response warning shots

According to military reports, North Korean drones have illegally entered South Korean airspace. The South Korean military spotted several drones in the border area on Monday morning (local time) and initially responded with loudspeaker announcements and warning shots, the Seoul General Staff said. The Air Force later used planes and helicopters to track and shoot down planes.

“provocative act”

The high command assumed that these were small drones from the neighboring country and flew over the Military Demarcation Line. “This is a clear provocative act by North Korea violating our airspace,” said Lee Sung-o, a member of the South Korean General Staff. One of the drones they flew near the South Korean capital, Seoul. Warning shots were fired at first. It left me open whether the drones were targeted and shot down.

100 shots were fired

South Korean news agency Yonhap later reported, citing the General Staff, that the military had fired about a hundred bullets. One of the drones has returned to North Korea. The other four lost sight of the army.
According to Lee, in response to the use of drones, South Korean reconnaissance aircraft also flew north to take similar aerial photos of the drones. North Korean drones were small, about two meters long. He did not give any other details about the plane’s equipment.

The first such incident in five years

It is the first time since 2017 that a border incident of this kind has been known. At the time, a suspected spy drone was captured by the South Korean military near the heavily fortified border with North Korea after it crashed. The plane is said to have been programmed for the return trip to North Korea.

Nuclear missile testing

The latest incident came at a time of heightened uncertainty in the region. North Korea has already tested nuclear-capable missiles several times this year, in violation of United Nations resolutions. Because of its nuclear weapons program, Pyongyang is under severe international sanctions. South Korea and the United States have resumed their comprehensive joint military exercises this year, primarily aimed at deterring North Korea.

Departures are suspended

According to Seoul’s Ministry of Transportation, outbound flights at Incheon and Gimpo airports have been temporarily suspended at the request of the military. A representative of the ministry told Reuters news agency that the break in the noon start lasted for about an hour. He did not provide any other information.