North Korea accused the United States and South Korea on Sunday of conducting spying activities near the Korean Peninsula during May, warning that it would take "immediate actions" if its sovereignty was violated, according to state media. North Korean Deputy Defense Minister Kim Kang Il announced that dozens of U.S. military aircraft had flown "in the air as part of spying activities on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea between May 13 and 24," as reported by the Korean Central News Agency.
The North Korean official's statement indicated that these activities were "at a level exceeding that of wartime," considering that "this hostile military espionage, in addition to numerous military exercises, has become the primary reason for the ongoing escalation of regional military tensions."
North Korea condemned the "enemy's breach... of our maritime borders," referring to the South Korean Navy. The Deputy Defense Minister affirmed that Pyongyang would "take necessary measures" in response. He criticized South Korea for sending balloons toward the north carrying anti-Kim Jong Un regime messages, deeming it a "serious provocation" and warning of a "response" to it.
Relations between the North and South have reached their lowest levels in years. Pyongyang declared Seoul as its "main enemy" and closed agencies dedicated to "reunification."
