The powerful sister of the North Korean ruler, Kim Jong-un, has claimed that Pyongyang’s warplanes repelled a US spy plane flying over nearby waters on Monday, warning of “shocking” consequences if the US continues reconnaissance there.
The US and South Korea dismissed the North’s accusations and urged it to refrain from any acts or rhetoric that raise tensions.
North Korea has made a number of similar threats over alleged US reconnaissance activities, but its latest statement came after a period of heightened animosity following North Korea’s barrage of missile tests earlier this year.
Kim Yo-jong, one of her brother’s top foreign policy officials, claimed that the US spy plane went into the North’s eastern exclusive economic zone eight times on Monday. In a statement carried by state media on Monday night, she claimed that the North scrambled warplanes to chase it away.
“A shocking incident would occur in the long run in the 20-40 kilometre section in which the US spy planes habitually intrude into the sky above the economic water zone” of North Korea, Kim Yo-jong said.
Earlier on Monday, North Korea’s defence ministry accused the US of flying a strategic reconnaissance plane into its “inviolable airspace” several times and warned that approaching aircraft might be shot down.
While the statement seemed to imply an intrusion into North Korean territorial airspace, Kim Yo-jong accused the US of conducting aerial surveillance over the North’s exclusive economic zone, the area within 200 nautical miles of its territory where it controls the rights to natural resources.
Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon press secretary, called the North’s claim on the airspace violation “just accusations”.
“The United States, as always, remains committed to safely and responsibly flying, sailing, operating anywhere that international law allows and alongside our allies and partners,” Singh said.
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US state department, said the US urged North Korea to refrain from “escalatory actions” and engage in serious diplomacy.
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff denied that the US had flown any spy plane into North Korean territory. Spokesperson Lee Sung-joon said at a briefing that the US was conducting standard reconnaissance activities in coordination with South Korea’s military.
On Tuesday, Kim Yo-jong issued another statement saying that intensifying US reconnaissance activities were encroaching on the North’s sovereignty and that US forces would “experience a very critical flight” if they continue.
Source : TheGuardian
