North Korea accuses the US of violating its airspace by carrying out surveillance flights

North Korea accused the United States of violating its airspace through surveillance flights and warned that it might shoot down such flights despite exercising restraint.

The country’s Ministry of National Defence spokesperson condemned the US plans to deploy a nuclear missile submarine near the Korean peninsula. They claimed that US spy aircraft had flown “provocative” flights this month, with one reconnaissance plane intruding into North Korean airspace over the East Sea on multiple occasions.

The spokesperson released a statement through the official Korean Central News Agency, stating that there was no guarantee against a “shocking accident” like the downing of a US Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane in the East Sea of Korea. They mentioned past incidents when US aircraft were shot down by North Korea and warned that the US would pay for its “frantically staged” air espionage.

The statement also criticized the US plan to deploy strategic nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula as “nuclear blackmail” that posed a significant threat to global and regional security. It claimed that the situation on the Korean peninsula was approaching the threshold of nuclear conflict due to US provocative military actions.

The spokesperson emphasized that the future actions of the US would determine whether an extreme situation was created on the Korean peninsula, and held the US accountable for any sudden developments.

In April, the US announced its intention to send a nuclear ballistic submarine to visit a port in South Korea, marking the first visit in decades. This year, North Korea has conducted multiple sanctions-busting launches, including test-firing powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles and attempting to launch a military spy satellite into orbit in May.

South Korea and the US have recently increased their defense cooperation, conducting joint military exercises involving high-profile US strategic assets and advanced stealth jets. In June, a US B-52 strategic bomber participated in air military drills with South Korea as a show of force following North Korea’s failed satellite launch in May.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed the need to demonstrate the international community’s determination to deter North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, highlighting its strength over North Korea’s desire to develop nuclear weapons.