Editorial: N. Korea’s outrage over drone leaflets exposes fear of losing control

North Korea's Foreign Ministry released this image of leaflets through the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Oct. 11, claiming they were dropped by a South Korean drone over central Pyongyang on Oct. 10. /Yonhap News

North Korea has claimed that South Korea infiltrated a drone over Pyongyang at night to scatter anti-regime leaflets. The North’s Foreign Ministry condemned the act as a “serious political and military provocation,” threatening to use “all available means of attack.” Kim Yo-jong also warned, “The moment a South Korean drone is spotted again, a terrible disaster will surely occur.”

The origin of the drone is unclear. South Korea’s military initially denied the accusation but now says, “We cannot confirm the facts.” Kim Yo-jong’s remark that the North is indifferent to who sent the drone suggests Pyongyang might not fully understand the situation either. However, the real question is not who sent the drone, but whether North Korea has any right to criticize.

In December 2022, North Korea sent five military drones into South Korean airspace, including over Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. One drone breached the no-fly zone over Yongsan, where the president’s office and residence are located. In 2017, another drone launched from near Mount Kumgang crashed in Gangwon Province, carrying 551 photos of South Korean military installations, including the THAAD base in Seongju.

North Korean drones have violated South Korean airspace for over a decade, with more than 10 confirmed incidents. In 2013, Kim Jong-un personally oversaw drone training, instructing his forces to “thoroughly grasp the coordinates of enemy targets in the South.” In 2014, three North Korean drones crashed in Paju, Samcheok, and Baengnyeong Island, with flight coordinates indicating they originated from and were set to return to North Korea. Despite photos taken over Cheong Wa Dae, North Korea denied responsibility, dismissing the incident as fabricated.

North Korea has labeled the alleged drone infiltration a “blatant violation of international law” and a “serious crime.” This can be seen as an admission of guilt, given their own history of violating international law for over a decade. Their bluster likely stems from the content of the leaflets scattered over Pyongyang. The blurred-out materials released by the North reportedly contained phrases like “Kim Jong-un, preoccupied with lining his own pockets” and images of luxury goods linked to the Kim family. North Korea’s outrage reflects its fear that the truth about the regime might finally reach its people.