Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, asserted on Monday that the country’s warplanes successfully repelled a U.S. spy plane that had entered its exclusive economic zone. She warned of “shocking” consequences if the United States continues its reconnaissance activities in the area.
Neither the U.S. nor South Korean militaries responded immediately to Kim Yo Jong’s comments, which were published in state media on Monday evening.
Earlier on the same day, North Korea’s Defense Ministry released a statement accusing the U.S. of flying spy planes into its “inviolable airspace” and cautioning that approaching aircraft might be shot down.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff refuted the claim that the U.S. had flown spy planes into North Korean territory. Spokesperson Lee Sung Joon stated during a briefing that the U.S. was conducting routine reconnaissance activities in coordination with South Korea’s military.
In response to the statement from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Kim accused them of acting as a “spokesperson” for the U.S. military and alleged that the U.S. has been escalating its reconnaissance activities, which she views as a serious infringement on North Korea’s sovereignty and safety.
While the North Korean Defense Ministry’s statement appeared to suggest an intrusion into the country’s territorial airspace, Kim claimed that the U.S. had sent spy planes over North Korea’s exclusive economic zone—a region within 200 nautical miles of its territory where it holds rights to natural resources.
Kim stated that a U.S. spy plane crossed the eastern sea boundary between the two Koreas at approximately 5 a.m. on Monday and conducted reconnaissance activities over North Korea’s exclusive economic zone before being chased away by North Korean warplanes. She added that the U.S. aircraft crossed the eastern sea boundary again at around 8:50 a.m., prompting North Korea’s military to issue an unspecified “strong warning” to the United States.
Kim warned that North Korea would take decisive action if the U.S. continues to fly reconnaissance planes over its exclusive economic zone. However, she clarified that no direct counteraction would be taken for U.S. reconnaissance activities outside of that zone.
Kim’s remarks come during a period of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with increased North Korean weapon tests and joint military exercises conducted by the U.S. and South Korea. North Korea has launched nearly 100 missiles since the beginning of 2022, as Kim Jong Un seeks to expand the nation’s nuclear arsenal, viewing it as his primary means of survival.
