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North Korea has threatened that the US government will “pay a dear price for its provocative air espionage” after allegations US reconnaissance aircraft have repeatedly intruded the country’s airspace this month.
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US Air Force strategic reconnaissance planes and reconnaissance drones have flown over the East and West seas of Korea for eight straight days from 2 to 9 July, according to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Ministry of National Defence.
Those flights have allegedly illegally intruded into the inviolable airspace of the DPRK several times and conducted “provocative aerial espionage on the DPRK’s strategic interior”.
The DPRK Ministry of National Defence spokesperson said it is impossible to overlook the US government’s increase in military espionage against the sovereignty of the DPRK.
“This month alone, RC-135 (large reconnaissance aircraft), U-2S (single-engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft), and RQ-4B (high-altitude, remotely-piloted surveillance aircraft), strategic reconnaissance planes and reconnaissance drone belonging to the US Air Force, flew over the East and West seas of Korea in turn for eight straight days from July 2 to 9 to conduct provocative aerial espionage on the DPRK’s strategic interior,” she said.
“In particular, a strategic reconnaissance plane of the US Air Force illegally intruded into the inviolable airspace of the DPRK over its East Sea tens of kilometres several times.
“Recently, the US has conducted hostile espionage activities in the Korean peninsula and its vicinity at an unprecedented level by intensively mobilising various air reconnaissance means deployed in the Asia-Pacific operational theatre.
“The US will surely have to pay a dear price for its provocative air espionage, frantically staged even invading the opposite side’s air space without previous notice.
“There is no guarantee that such shocking accident as downing of the US Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen in the East Sea of Korea.”
The US government should recall an EC-121 recon plane shot down by a North Korean MiG-21 aircraft in 1969, a US Army helicopter shot down past the Military Demarcation Line in 1994, and an RC-135 intercepted by North Korean fighter jets in March 2003, according to the DPRK Ministry of National Defence spokesperson.
The spokesperson also claimed the US Department of Defense plans to deploy a strategic nuclear submarine into the operational waters of the Korean peninsula, which encourages a “very dangerous situation” and “may incite the worst crisis of nuclear conflict in practice”.
“The present situation clearly proves that the situation of the Korean peninsula is coming closer to the threshold of nuclear conflict due to the US provocative military action,” the spokesperson said.
“The US attempt to introduce strategic nuclear weapons into the Korean peninsula is the most undisguised nuclear blackmail against the DPRK and its neighbouring countries and a grave threat and challenge to the regional and global peace and security.
“The DPRK should show in the clearest way how it will take counteraction, in order to prevent the US from doing such reckless acts with ease.”
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the “accusations are just accusations” and that the US operates responsibly and safely, in accordance with international law.
“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,” she said during a US Department of Defense press conference held on 10 July.
“We operate responsibly and safely in international waterways and airspaces wherever we can.”
