North Korea’s statements and rhetoric about the drone incident are stirring up tensions in South Korea once again.
Less than a day after the North Korean General Staff released its statement at 6:00 AM on Jan. 10, the Ministry of National Defense hastily announced that the drone did not belong to the South Korean military—effectively leaking classified information about the military’s weapon systems, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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Kim Yo-jong’s statement the following day was even more dramatic. She went so far as to say, “The current authorities in Seoul have no right to comment on the Pyongyang drone infiltration incident committed by the previous ‘Yoon-mangnani’ [Yoon the wretch] regime as if it were someone else’s business.” The National Security Office then stepped in, stating it would uncover the truth through a joint military-police investigation and promptly release the results, while reaffirming it had no intention to provoke or irritate North Korea.
Meanwhile, the president of South Korea spoke of “grave crimes” and turned his focus toward the civilian sector. He effectively treated his own citizens as criminals based on the unilateral claims of an enemy state, ordering a strict investigation. While expressing regret over the drone infiltration, he failed to respond resolutely, appearing desperate only to avoid offending North Korea.
The content of Kim Yo-jong’s statement reveals North Korea’s intent clearly: “Whether committed by the Yoon clan or the Li clan, to us, it constitutes a grave provocation against the sovereignty of the DPRK.” In line with Kim Jong Un’s declared “hostile two-state” relationship, they have absolutely no intention of discussing exchange or cooperation with the South. They are simply “taming” the South in the manner they desire.
The timing of the statement is crucial. By mentioning events from last September and this January simultaneously, they are indirectly expressing dissatisfaction that the current administration’s North Korea policy does not meet their demands. In other words, unlike the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the current government speaks of peaceful coexistence—but North Korea’s demands go far beyond that. They seem to be suggesting that a summit might only be possible after the dissolution of the Ministry of Unification, the abolition of the National Security Act, and even the withdrawal of US Forces Korea. And strictly speaking, that would not be the inter-Korean summit the current government desires, but a “DPRK-ROK Summit” based on the two-state concept.
At this point, the “peaceful coexistence” and “shared prosperity” spoken of by the current government are nothing more than empty political slogans with no realistic path forward. Under Kim Jong Un’s “hostile two-state” framework, North Korean authorities are compelled to stoke internal solidarity through military confrontation rather than easing tensions. Jan. 4—the day they claim the drone infiltrated—was the day the President flew to China to request Xi Jinping’s mediation for inter-Korean dialogue. North Korea’s intent to preemptively block any clumsy mediation or intervention by China appears evident.
It is a transparent ploy for the South Korean government to consistently emphasize peace while clearly knowing North Korea will not respond. Using division to maintain power seems to be a quality shared by leaders on both sides of the DMZ. However, there is hope—because nothing lasts forever.
