The official Korean Central News Agency reported that the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Kim Yo-jong, accused the United States on Tuesday of violating the airspace of its exclusive economic zone eight times with a military spy plane. Kim warned that U.S. forces would face a "very decisive response" if they continued what she described as "illegal interference," reiterating an accusation made on Monday that the U.S. violated its airspace with reconnaissance aircraft. She also warned that such planes could be shot down.
The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) dismissed Pyongyang's accusations of airspace violations, stating that the U.S. military is committed to international law. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said, "These are just accusations."
Kim accused the U.S. Air Force of violating the airspace "of the economic waters" belonging to North Korea, off the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula, 435 kilometers east of Tongchon in Gangwon Province, and 276 kilometers southeast of Ulchin in North Gyeongsang Province. North Korea's exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles, grants it the right to exploit marine resources, but does not confer sovereignty over the surface waters or the airspace above.
In response to inquiries about North Korea's statements, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller urged North Korea to "refrain from provocative actions," reiterating a call to "engage in serious and sustained diplomacy."
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in South Korea stated in a statement released Monday night that the northern neighbor is escalating tensions through threats regarding what it reported as "normal flight activity" conducted by Washington and Seoul. Additionally, North Korea condemned President Joe Biden's decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine on Tuesday, describing it as a "criminal act" and demanding the immediate cancellation of the plan. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui stated in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency that "Biden's acknowledgment that the decision is difficult shows that he is aware of the catastrophic consequences of using cluster munitions." She added, "On behalf of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), I strongly condemn the U.S. decision to provide weapons of mass destruction to Ukraine as a serious criminal act that brings new disaster to the world, and I strongly demand that the United States withdraw this decision immediately."
