North Korea threatens response, accuses South Korea of drone flights across border

North Korea on Saturday accused South Korea of flying drones into its territory this week, warning that the Republic of Korea (ROK) military will face consequences for what it called “unpardonable hysteria.”

According to a statement from the Korean People’s Army General Staff , North Korean forces used special electronic warfare assets to bring down a drone over a border town. The drone reportedly carried two cameras filming unspecified areas . North Korea also referenced a previous drone intrusion on September 27, 2025 , which crashed following electronic attacks and was said to contain video data on major North Korean sites .

“We strongly denounce the hooligans’ serial outrageous encroachment upon our sovereignty and undisguised provocative acts against us,” the North Korean statement said, calling South Korea’s actions a “serial provocation.”

South Korea quickly denied the accusations. The Defence Ministry said it did not operate drones during the times cited by North Korea and does not possess the types of drones claimed. Senior official Kim Hong-Cheol noted that civilians may have flown the drones in question and reaffirmed that South Korea has no intention of provoking North Korea , while continuing efforts to build trust between the two countries.

Drone incidents have been a recurring source of tension on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has previously accused South Korea of flying drones over its capital, Pyongyang , to drop propaganda leaflets in October 2024 , while South Korea has occasionally reported North Korean drone flights into its territory, including in December 2022 , prompting warning shots, fighter jets, and surveillance operations.

The latest accusations come against a backdrop of strained diplomacy. Since the collapse of nuclear talks with the United States in 2019, North Korea has focused on building more powerful nuclear weapons and declared a hostile “two-state” system, effectively terminating formal relations with South Korea. President Lee Jae Myung , who took office in June 2025, has sought to reopen dialogue and reconciliation with North Korea, even requesting Chinese President Xi Jinping to mediate tensions, but Pyongyang has rebuffed these overtures.

The renewed rhetoric and drone dispute highlight the fragile nature of inter-Korean relations , where even minor incidents can inflame tensions along the heavily militarized border.