Sister of North Korea's leader says South Korea's drone regret was sensible but insufficient

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Friday it was “sensible” for a South Korean government official to express regret for alleged civilian drone flights over North Korea but warned of counterattacks if they recur.

The statement by Kim Yo Jong came after South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Tuesday expressed “deep regret” over the alleged flights and stressed that Seoul’s liberal government seeks “mutual recognition and peaceful coexistence” between the war-divided rivals.

North Korea threatened retaliation last month after accusing South Korea of launching a surveillance drone flight in September and again in January.

The South Korean government has denied operating any drones during the times specified by North Korea but law enforcement authorities are investigating three civilians suspected of flying drones into the North from border areas.

The development threatens to further dampen prospects for a push by Seoul to resume long-stalled talks with North Korea amid a deepening nuclear standoff.

Kim Yo Jong said Chung’s comments displayed “sensible behavior” but were insufficient as a government response, demanding stronger measures from Seoul to prevent similar activities in the future.

“I give advance warning that reoccurrence of such provocation as violating the inalienable sovereignty of the DPRK will surely provoke a terrible response,” she said, using the initials of North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“Various counterattack plans are on the table and one of them will be chosen without doubt and it will go beyond proportionality,” she said without specifying.

The Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said the alleged drone flights ran counter to the government’s principles of reducing tensions and that it plans to take unspecified steps to prevent similar incidents.

Analysts say North Korea’s drone accusations were likely driven by its efforts to dial up anti-South Korea sentiments ahead of the ruling Workers’ Party congress in late February. North Korea could add leader Kim Jong Un’s declaration of a hostile “two-state” system on the Korean Peninsula in the party constitution during the congress, the first of its kind in five years.

There have been no public talks between the Koreas since 2019 and drone flights are a source of animosity between the rivals.