North Korea Threatens to Shoot Down US Reconnaissance Plane

North Korea accuses US surveillance planes of violating and entering its airspace. If it happened again, Pyongyang threatened that the US planes could be shot down.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI.

AFP PHOTO / US AAIR FORCE/PETER REFT/HANDOUT

The picture of the United States Air Force obtained on September 23, 2017, shows Air Force B-1B Lancer receiving fuel supply from KC-135 Stratotanker near the East China Sea on September 18, 2017.

PYONGYANG, Monday— North Korea, through its Ministry of Defense, threatened to shoot down US spy planes that violate its airspace. In addition, Pyongyang also condemned the US and South Korea's plan to bring in nuclear missile-carrying submarines to the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea accused the US on Monday (10/7/2023) of violating its airspace by sending spy planes to North Korea's air defense zone, specifically in the East Sea. "The (United States) has increased its spy activities beyond the level during wartime," said a spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of Defense, as quoted by the KCNA news agency.

He said US reconnaissance aircraft flew over the Korean Peninsula for eight consecutive days this month. One of the US spy planes entered North Korea's airspace over the East Sea several times.

"There is no guarantee that in the surprising incident, the US Air Force's strategic reconnaissance plane will not be shot down (in the eastern region of Korea)," said a spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of Defense."

He reminded that the North Korean military has shot down two American planes or helicopters. The first incident occurred in 1969 and the second incident occurred in 1994. Both incidents happened because they entered North Korean airspace.

As of the time this news is published, there has been no response from the US military stationed in South Korea regarding North Korea's accusations and threats. South Korean military officials stated that North Korea's claim about violations of their airspace by the US spy plane is not true.

Military Spokesperson of South Korea Lee Sung-jun stated that the US surveillance aircraft patrol in the Korean Peninsula is a routine part of the cooperation between Seoul and Washington.

SOUTH KOREAN DEFENCE MINISTRY / AFP

The photo taken on October 31, 2022 and provided by the South Korean Ministry of Defense on November 2, 2022 shows KF-16 fighter jets of the South Korean Air Force participating in a joint flight exercise with the US and South Korea called "Vigilant Storm" at Gunsan Air Base in Gunsan, South Korea.

Lee added that in the Korean Peninsula, US partner countries are working together to monitor the situation in North Korea. He urged North Korea to exercise restraint and not to frequently threaten to resort to aggression.

US nuclear submarine

North Korea also expressed condemnation towards the US and South Korea's plan to deploy nuclear missile-carrying submarines to the Korean Peninsula. "The deployment of these nuclear submarines is an open threat to North Korea. It is clear that the US wishes for a nuclear conflict to occur in the Korean Peninsula," stated a spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of Defense.

Read also: US Nuclear Powered Submarine Arrives in South Korea

The issue of the US nuclear submarine has been discussed by Washington and Seoul since April 2023. However, there is no certainty about the schedule of the submarine being brought to the Korean Peninsula.

According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said it is important for the international community to unite in order to intimidate North Korea. International sanctions against Pyongyang have proven effective in impeding North Korea's development of their nuclear enrichment program.

South Korea notes that since January 2022, North Korea has conducted 80 ballistic missile tests, including intercontinental hypersonic missiles. In addition, in May 2023, North Korea attempted to launch their spy satellite but failed as it fell into the sea shortly after launch.

Also read: North Korean Satellite Fails to Orbit, South Korea Claims to Find Debris in the Sea

"We cannot guarantee the creation of peace without strong defense and security cooperation," said Yoon.

AP/POOL/JUNG YEON-JE

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (center) inspects military vehicles after a joint military exercise between the US and South Korea at the Seungjin Training Arena in Pocheon, South Korea on June 15, 2023.

On Monday evening, Yoon is scheduled to fly to Lithuania. He will participate in a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Seoul wants to strengthen its defense cooperation by approaching NATO.

Yoon was invited to attend the NATO meeting with leaders from Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. The invitation to them is part of NATO's efforts to strengthen relations with countries in the Asia Pacific region. The four countries were also invited to attend the NATO summit last year.

Also read: Japan Accuses North Korea of ​​Stealing Crypto Assets to Fund Missiles

Yoon's meeting with NATO leaders could provoke North Korea's anger and invite retaliation from Pyongyang. North Korea referred to the increased cooperation between NATO and its partner countries in Asia as part of the process of establishing an "Asian version of NATO."

US Undersecretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink told The Korea Herald newspaper that Washington adheres to its defense commitments with South Korea and Japan. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Jakarta, July 11-14.

Also read: South Korea, Japan and the US Plan to Share North Korean Nuclear Data

At the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting scheduled for July 14, Blinken will express the US's opinion regarding the risk of conflict on the Korean Peninsula due to North Korea's continued nuclear testing. North Korea is also a member of ARF.

"The US continues to try to communicate with North Korea, but Pyongyang has not yet responded," said Kritenbrink. (AFP/Reuters)