Tensions are rising on the Korean peninsula. A representative of the South Korean military characterized the airplane flights as a provocation.
12:10•Updated 12:10
The South Korean defense forces announce that they have fired warning shots at North Korean unmanned aerial vehicles, reports the South Korean news agency Yonhap. North Korean drones were said to have crossed the Korean border on Monday morning local time.
According to the Reuters news agency, the planes were not shot down.
Air traffic was stopped for an hour as a precaution
Air traffic at airports near Seoul, the capital of South Korea, was suspended for about an hour at the request of the country’s defense forces.
It is the first time in five years that North Korean drones have penetrated South Korean airspace.
Moments after crossing the border, one South Korean attack plane crashed for an unknown reason. Both people on board the plane were saved.
The tensions between the Koreas have been particularly tense due to North Korea’s missile tests. North Korea has launched more missiles this year than any year before. In November alone, the country is believed to have launched at least 30 short-, medium- and long-range missiles.
After the attack on Ukraine, relations between Russia and North Korea have warmed up, among other things, due to arms sales. North Korea has been willing to supply weapons to Russia under sanctions.
Reuters, STT