[Editorial] Case for restraint

North Korea alleges drone infiltration; Seoul should respond to unproven claims with caution

North Korea claimed Saturday that it brought down drones it said South Korea sent into its airspace in September last year and again on Jan. 4.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense said the drones shown in photos released by the North do not match any models used by its military, adding that it has no intention of provoking or escalating tensions with North Korea.

President Lee Jae Myung said that if the drones were indeed civilian, sending them into the North would constitute a serious crime that threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula and South Korea's national security. He ordered a swift and thorough investigation.

As the South appeared unsettled by the North's claim, Pyongyang escalated its offensive Sunday.

Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, responded to the South Korean military's statement that it had no intention of provoking the North as saying that would be a "wise choice for survival." The remark amounted to a mix of admonition and derision. She also warned that the South would face unbearable consequences if it provoked the North.

Cheong Wa Dae said the government once again confirmed it has no intention of provoking or irritating North Korea. It added that the government would investigate the incident through a joint military-police probe and promptly disclose the results.

While it is undesirable to escalate tensions between South and North Korea, an excessively submissive posture toward the North is hard to accept. The alleged drone infiltration is a unilateral claim by North Korea.

Furthermore, it defies understanding that the North is only now disclosing alleged “South Korean drone incursions” after remaining silent last September when it claims infiltrations occurred. Seoul should closely monitor whether Pyongyang is testing the Lee administration by ratcheting up inter-Korean tensions.

For the South Korean military to rush to stress, “We have no intention of provoking North Korea,” immediately after the North’s claims — without addressing its threats and before initiating an investigation — hardly reflects a desirable posture.

Cheong Wa Dae’s reiteration of the same position for two consecutive days is excessive.

Lee’s remarks appear inappropriate in that they seem to lend weight to the North’s claims. It is unsettling to see a president seemingly willing to accept Pyongyang’s one-sided assertions at face value and turn suspicion first on his own people. On the basis of unverified North Korean allegations, ordinary Koreans have suddenly been treated as persons of interest.

Furthermore, if the investigation targets civilians or civic groups aligned with a particular ideological camp, it could inflame divisions between opposing camps. North Korea has routinely blamed the South even when it was responsible itself, or has concocted self-serving scenarios. Seoul should view the North's claims with a critical eye.

In December 2022, Pyongyang covertly dispatched drones over Seoul, with one of them entering the no-fly zone around the presidential office. The North has reportedly carried out drone provocations at least 10 times since 2014. However, it has never acknowledged responsibility for the incursions. Following the North’s drone infiltration of the no-fly zone, South Korea significantly strengthened its capabilities to monitor and counter North Korean drone incursions.

We now live in an era in which virtually anyone can operate a drone. Given the nature of drones and the confrontational situation between South and North Korea, even a simple accident in which a drone inadvertently crosses into the North, as well as an intentional act by an individual, could trigger an unintended military clash. In particular, civilian drone activity near the inter-Korean border requires tighter regulation.

After establishing preventive measures, Seoul should press Pyongyang to acknowledge its past drone provocations and commit to implementing corresponding steps.

As for the North’s claims of drone infiltration, South Korea should calmly take only the necessary steps based on factual verification and a fair investigation. Cool-headed and restrained responses are essential to managing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.