[Choice Times=Sang-Hyun Park, Staff Reporter]

After South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense issued an explanation regarding the “drone intrusion incident,” saying that “our military has not operated any drones, had no intention of provocation or stimulation, and it may have been done by civilians,” Kim Yo-jong, deputy director of the Workers’ Party of Korea, responded the next day by calling it “at least a wise choice for survival,” offering what sounded like a patronizing pat on the head.

How did South Korea’s military end up in such a humiliating position—being mockingly praised by none other than Kim Yo-jong?

In a statement released through the Rodong Sinmun on the 11th, Kim Yo-jong said,
“Personally, I would like to evaluate the fact that South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense officially stated that it had no intention of provoking or stimulating us as at least a wise choice for survival.”

The previous day, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense stated,
“Our military does not possess the drone in question, nor did we operate any drones during the time period claimed by North Korea,”
adding,
“We will thoroughly investigate the possibility that drones were operated in the civilian sector.”

The ministry also said,
“We have no intention of provoking or stimulating North Korea, and we will continue to pursue practical measures and efforts to ease tensions and build trust between the two Koreas.”

President Lee Jae-myung also joined the discussion, saying,
“If the possibility of civilian drone operations is confirmed, it would constitute a serious crime threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and national security,”
and ordered,
“Form a joint military–police investigative team and conduct a swift and rigorous investigation.”

However, Kim Yo-jong did not forget to issue a warning, saying,
“Although it is fortunate that the South Korean military has officially stated that it was not their action, there must be a concrete explanation regarding the substance of the drone that crossed our southern border from South Korean territory into our Republic.”

She continued,
“There are movements attempting to frame this serious border violation incident as a ‘civilian act’ by claiming that the drone was ‘made of low-cost commercial components easily purchased’ or that it was a ‘model traded for hobby, commercial, or industrial purposes in the civilian sector.’ But what is clear is the fact itself—that a South Korean drone violated our national airspace.”

She went on to say,
“I wonder whether they are trying to argue that it is not a violation of sovereignty simply because it was not a military drone.”

Kim emphasized,
“Let me make this clear: whoever the perpetrator may be—even if it was a civilian organization or an individual—the authorities, who claim to be responsible for national security, cannot evade responsibility.”

She added,
“If South Korean authorities attempt to dodge responsibility by blaming civilian groups, they will come to witness the appearance of countless flying objects launched by civilian organizations within the territory of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”

She concluded by saying,
“In any case, this drone intrusion incident originating from South Korea once again provided us with great assistance in solidifying an even clearer image of South Korea as a gang of hooligans and a trash collective.”

#NorthKorea #DroneIncident #InterKoreanRelations