US Aware of North Korean Drone Incursion Into South Korea, Says US Security Spokesman
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un takes part in launch of heavy intercontinental ballistic missile test.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The United States is aware of an infiltration of North Korean drones into South Korean airspace, and Washington is holding consultations to establish the nature of the launches, a US National Security Agency spokesperson said on Monday. Earlier in the day, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing South Korean military, that a number of drones, believed to be North Korean, had crossed the inter-Korean border. South Korea tried to shoot the drones down and scrambled fighter jets and attack helicopters to intercept them. One of the aircraft, a KA-1 light attack plane, reportedly crashed during takeoff. “We are aware of the reported DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] drone flights across the military demarcation line, and we are consulting closely with the ROK about the nature of this incursion,” the spokesperson told the news agency. The US side has also expressed its “ironclad” commitment to South Korean defense and said it recognized “the need of the ROK [Republic of Korea] to protect its territorial integrity,” according to the report. On Monday, four small North Korean drones flew in the area of Ganghwado Island in South Korea, and another flew up to the northern region of the metropolitan agglomeration, including Seoul. One drone reportedly managed to return back to the North, while the remaining four disappeared from radars. The South Korean Defense Ministry called the violation of its airspace by North Korean drones “a clear provocation” and pledged to respond decisively.