North Korea has issued a stark warning of retaliation against South Korea, accusing its neighbour of flying surveillance drones across their heavily fortified border. The accusation, swiftly denied by Seoul, threatens to derail already fragile diplomatic efforts between the two long-time adversaries.
Accusations and Denials Over Border Airspace
In a statement carried by state media on Saturday 10 January 2026, the General Staff of the North Korean People’s Army alleged that South Korean drones had violated its airspace on two separate occasions. The military claimed it used special electronic warfare assets on Sunday to bring down a South Korean drone equipped with two cameras near a border town.
The statement further alleged that another drone was infiltrated on 27 September before being forced to crash, with recovered video data reportedly containing footage of major sites within North Korea. The North Korean authorities condemned these acts as "unpardonable hysteria" and "undisguised provocative acts," warning that South Korea's "military warmongers will be surely forced to pay a dear price."
In response, South Korea's Defence Ministry firmly rejected the allegations, stating it did not operate drones on the cited dates. President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a thorough investigation into the claims.
A Blow to Diplomatic Overtures
This incident deals a significant blow to the reconciliation efforts championed by South Korea's liberal government since President Lee took office in June. His administration has pushed to reopen talks, but Pyongyang has consistently rebuffed these overtures.
President Lee revealed that during a recent summit, he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to mediate and ease tensions, with Xi counselling patience. However, North Korea has shunned substantive dialogue with both Seoul and Washington since the collapse of nuclear talks with former US President Donald Trump in 2019.
Since then, North Korea has focused on expanding its nuclear arsenal and has formally adopted a hostile policy towards the South, declaring an end to inter-Korean relations.
A History of Drone-Related Animosity
Drone flights remain a persistent flashpoint in inter-Korean relations, with both sides regularly accusing each other of intrusions:
- In October 2024, North Korea accused the South of flying drones over Pyongyang to drop propaganda leaflets, leading to a sharp spike in tensions.
- In December 2022, South Korea scrambled fighter jets and fired warning shots in response to what it called the first North Korean drone incursion in five years.
The latest exchange of accusations underscores the deep-seated mistrust and the volatile nature of the military standoff on the Korean Peninsula. With North Korea promising consequences and South Korea standing firm in its denial, the prospects for near-term diplomatic engagement appear to have darkened further.
