Suspicions over intention of DPRK's sudden reveal of drone photo

[Anchor]

The DPRK, claiming that our military sent a drone to Pyongyang, had not provided any evidence, then suddenly released photos today (Oct. 19th).

They asserted that the drone that fell into the DPRK is of the same model as the one revealed during our Armed Forces Day event.

Our military dismissed the claim, deeming it not worth responding to.

Kim Kyung-jin reports.

[Report]

Here are the photos released by the DPRK's Ministry of Defense today.

They claimed it was the drone discovered in Pyongyang on the 13th, and asserted that based on its appearance, it is of the same model as the long-range reconnaissance small drones used by our Drone Operations Command.

[Korean Central TV: "We judged it to be the same model as the drone that was displayed mounted on a vehicle during the 'Armed Forces Day' commemorative event."]

Our military stated that they cannot confirm this and dismissed the claim as not worth responding to.

[Lee Sung-jun/Spokesperson, Joint Chiefs of Staff: "There is no value in confirming the DPRK's unilateral claims, nor is there any value in responding."]

Initially, the DPRK claimed that our military sent a drone to distribute leaflets, but the photos released today do not show any leaflet containers.

The DPRK then changed its statement, saying it could not conclude whether the drone was sent for leaflet distribution.

This suggests that they hurriedly released the photos as a counter-response to the issue of troops deployment to Russia, even though no conclusion has been reached.

The DPRK also stated that they are not concerned whether the entity that sent the drone is military or civilian, and that they would retaliate if another drone is discovered, indicating a focus on preventing recurrence rather than immediate retaliation.

[Hong Min/Senior Research Fellow, Korea Institute for National Unification: "From the perspective of the UN Command, it is possible to argue that you also did it, and it is much more practical to focus on preventing recurrence rather than going for punitive responses."]

The DPRK announced today through its state media, indicating an intention to continue using the drone issue as a means to justify the severance of inter-Korean relations.

This is KBS News, Kim Kyung-jin.