DPRK threatens to down US reconnaissance aircraft violating airspace
3 Min Read
A spokesperson of the DPRK's Ministry of Defense says US aircraft are violating the country's airspace as Pyongyang restrains itself from shooting them down.
-
US B-52H and F-16 fighter jets fly in formation with South Korean Air Force F-35A fighter jets fly over the Korean Peninsula, April 14, 2023. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) threatened to shoot down United States aircraft that violate the country's airspace.
An official of the Ministry of National Defense was quoted by the Korean Central News Agency as saying that the continuous provocative action carried out by the US is pushing the Korean Peninsula toward a nuclear war.
Washington has been deploying reconnaissance planes and drones that violate the DPRK's airspace, as Pyongyang exercises restraint by not targeting the aircraft.
"There is no guarantee that such a shocking accident as the downing of the U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen" in waters east of Korea, the spokesperson stated.
The Defense Ministry official also reminded the US of previous incidents in which the DPRK downed or intercepted US military aircraft.
The US military, which is currently stationed in South Korea conducting large-scale drills with the South Korean army, did not respond to a request for comment by Reuters.
The South Korean military told Reuters that the DPRK's statement is false and that US air surveillance conducts routine flights to monitor the DPRK.
Read more: Korean peninsula at the brink of nuclear war due to US actions: DPRK
US nuclear escalation in Korea
The United States has also deployed a nuclear submarine in South Korean waters marking "the most undisguised nuclear blackmail" against the DPRK and other non-allied countries in the region, which the Korean country views as a great threat to its peace, the KCNA added.
"Whether the extreme situation, desired by nobody, is created or not on the Korean peninsula depends on the future action of the US, and if any sudden situation happens... the US will be held totally accountable for it," the state-run news agency explained.
The nuclear submarine's deployment marks a grave escalation, as the US has not done so since 1981.
The nuclear-powered guided missile submarine USS Michigan SSGN 727 made its way to Korea in mid-June as per an agreement between the South Korean and US governments back in April.
The governments also agreed to deploy a US Navy nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine in Korean waters, however, no timetable for its arrival has yet been made public.
The two countries have been conducting a series of large-scale joint military drills, which involve wide bombing campaigns using an array of weapons and practicing scenarios of an invasion of DRPK territories.
To add to its provocations, the US simulated strikes on the DPRK through a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber in June.
South Korean President said in a written statement published by the Associated Press it was time to show "the international community’s determination to deter North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is stronger than North Korea’s desire to develop nuclear weapons.”
Yoon Suk Yeoul is scheduled to attend a NATO summit held in Lithuania this week, as he expected to ask for further cooperation and support from NATO members, which would further threaten the DPRK's safety.
Read more: US nuclear-powered submarine conducts drills with S.Korea navy: Report
