U.S. spy flights could turn 'perilous,' Kim Jong-un's sister warns

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned that the U.S. military’s flights into the North's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) could become “perilous” if they continue.

Kim Yo-jong, sister of Kim Jong-un and deputy director of the propaganda department of the ruling Workers' Party’s Central Committee [YONHAP]

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned that the U.S. military’s flights into the North's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) could become “perilous” if they continue.

Tuesday's warning by Kim Yo-jong, deputy director of the propaganda department of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee, was the third official statement carried by the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) regarding the alleged violation of North Korea’s EEZ by the U.S. Air Force the previous day.

Kim threatened that a “shocking incident” will “inevitably occur” if U.S. spy aircraft continued to be active within the EEZ, implying Pyongyang could shoot down such aircraft, according to a KCNA report released Monday night.

In her latest statement, Kim said the North Korean military detected U.S. reconnaissance aircraft crossing the military demarcation line (MDL) in the East Sea eight times between 5:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. on Monday.

On Monday, Kim said the U.S. spy planes crossed the MDL approximately 430 kilometers (267 miles) east of Thongchon, Kangwon Province, but revised the location of the “illegal intrusion” in her Tuesday statement to an area 435 kilometers east of Thongchon.

She claimed Monday that the North Korean air force “scrambled” jets and forced the U.S. spy planes to initially “retreat,” but that U.S. reconnaissance aircraft returned at 8:50 a.m. around 400 kilometers east of Kosong, Kangwon Province and committed a “military provocation” by carrying out “aerial espionage.”

Pyongyang prohibits foreign ships and planes from operating inside its EEZ.

An EEZ is a maritime region within which a coastal nation has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources and usually extends 200 nautical miles from its baseline.

A country’s EEZ typically covers a much greater expanse of area than its territorial sea or airspace, which international maritime law defines as extending only 12 nautical miles from its baseline.

Although international law does not prohibit flights into another country’s EEZ, Kim argued that the “invasion of reconnaissance assets of hostile countries with a detection radius of more than 240 nautical miles” is “clearly a severe violation” of the North’s “sovereignty and security.”

Kim appeared to refer to the reconnaissance range of some U.S. spy aircraft, such as Lockheed’s U-2 spy plane, which can surveil up to 300 miles when flying at an altitude of 70,000 feet (21 kilometers).

Such aircraft would be able to carry out reconnaissance activities on the North’s territory while remaining just within the periphery of the North’s EEZ but outside its territorial airspace.

But Kim warned that U.S. aircraft flying “in the problematic 20-40 km area” could be met with a “shocking incident,” adding, “We repeatedly warn that we will respond with clear and decisive action if they cross the maritime military demarcation line and infringe on our economic zone again.”

She also warned Seoul against becoming involved in the incident, arguing it is an issue between the Korean People’s Army and the U.S. military.

“The military gangsters of the ‘ROK’ should stop acting impudently and shut up at once,” Kim said, marking an unusual instance in which the North referred to the South by the acronym for its official name, Republic of Korea.

The South Korean military pushed back against the North’s accusations on Monday afternoon and described flights of the U.S. aerial surveillance assets as a regular practice.

The U.S. Defense Department denied claims of having violated international law through its reconnaissance activities.

“Accusations are just accusations,” said Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, during a daily briefing on Monday. “I’ll leave it at that.”

Singh added that the United States “remains committed to safely and responsibly flying, sailing, operating anywhere that international law allows and alongside our allies and partners,” suggesting that it views the North’s EEZ as international airspace — without addressing the question of whether U.S. aircraft entered the zone as Kim claimed.

BY MICHAEL LEE, SOHN DONG-JOO [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]