UN Command Concludes Seoul, Pyongyang Breached Armistice in Drone Incident
North Korean flag flutters behind razor wire on top of a wall at North Korean Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, March 13, 2017.
InternationalIndiaAfricaMOSCOW (Sputnik) – The United Nations Command (UNC) has concluded both North and South Korea breached the 1953 armistice agreement by sending drones to each other’s territory last December, South Korean news agency reported on Wednesday, citing sources. On December 26, a group of drones believed to be North Korean crossed the inter-Korean border. South Korea tried to shoot the drones down and scrambled fighter jets and helicopters to intercept them. One of the aircraft, a KA-1 light attack plane, reportedly crashed during takeoff. In response, Seoul decided to send drones into the North Korean territory. According to the news agency, the UNC had a special team assembled to investigate the incident which found both sides in breach of the truce deal. Media also reported that UNC Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera had been “pondering” whether to announce the results of the investigation due to concerns that it would lead to friction with the South Korean government. Four small North Korean drones flew near Ganghwado Island in South Korea, and another flew up to the northern region of the metropolitan agglomeration, including Seoul. Media later said that one drone managed to return back to the North, while the remaining four disappeared from radars. The South Korean Defense Ministry called the violation of the country’s airspace by North Korean drones a provocation. The UNC is a US-led multinational force created during the Korean War of 1950-1953. Its main goal has been to maintain the armistice deal struck by Seoul and Pyongyang following the war and break a diplomatic logjam between the two countries.
