DPRK official demands S. Korea clarify drone incident: KCNA

PYONGYANG -- A senior official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has urged South Korea to make a "detailed explanation" about a drone that entered DPRK airspace, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Sunday.

Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, made the remarks in a press statement issued a day earlier.

The DPRK official expressed appreciation for the South Korean Ministry of Defense's public declaration that it would never provoke or irritate the DPRK, calling the move "a wise choice," said the report.

"A detailed explanation should be made about the actual case of a drone that crossed the southern border of our Republic from the ROK," Kim was quoted as saying, using the acronym for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.

Kim further criticized attempts in South Korea to downplay the incident as a "civilian case," stressing that the core issue was not whether the latest drone incident originated from military or civilian sources.

She noted that video data collected by the drone pertained to sensitive locations, including a uranium mine and its settling pond, the former Kaesong Industrial Zone, and DPRK border guard posts.

"Regardless of who the perpetrator is or whether the act was carried out by any civilian organization or individual, the (South Korean) authorities responsible for national security can never evade their responsibility for it," Kim asserted.

According to KCNA, the incident occurred on Jan 4. In response, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung ordered a thorough investigation, instructing military and police task forces to verify the details.

South Korea's Defense Ministry has denied involvement, stating that no military drones were operational on the dates specified by the DPRK and that the drone in question does not match any models used by the South Korean armed forces.