DPRK condemns ROK military over drone incident

SEOUL -- A senior official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Saturday condemned the Republic of Korea (ROK) military in its latest response to a drone incursion and leaflet-dropping over Pyongyang, state media reported.

Even though the drones were sent by civilians, the inaction by the ROK military should be viewed as "a deliberate connivance and conspiracy," said Kim Yo-jong, vice-department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Condemning the ROK military for trying to evade its responsibility, Kim said the behavior of dropping leaflets over the DPRK's capital city will be regarded as "a grave politically-motivated provocation and an infringement upon its sovereignty."

She said that the mere act of sending an unmanned aerial vehicle carrying anti-DPRK leaflets was "the core of the seriousness of the recent incident," the statement said.

Kim warned that her country will take "a strong corresponding retaliatory action" if ROK sends drones carrying anti-DPRK leaflets across the border again.

ROK military on Friday denied the accusation, saying that "it did not send drones" into the DPRK.