Seoul Alarmed By North Korean Drone Activity On Border

North Korea has sharply increased its drone sorties on its western border with the South, local media reported Tuesday citing sources.

According to the media outlet, Seoul detects seven or eight drone missions a day.

“Drone activity has increased sharply around the western part of the frontline as of late. There is a brisk pace of take-off and landing exercises involving various types of small and bigger-than-medium-size unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV),” a South Korean government official told the Yonhap news agency on condition of anonymity.

The South Korean military is currently trying to determine the reason behind such an increase in UAV exercises.

“These drones may possibly cross over to our side of the demarcation line unexpectedly to confuse our military’s combat readiness. Or they could divert attention to the western front so as to allow the North to create problems elsewhere,” the source said.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated after North Korea successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test in early January and put a satellite into orbit a month later, violating UN Security Council resolutions and triggering condemnation from the international community.

Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to attack Seoul government buildings if South Korea were to challenge Pyongyang. (PNA/Sputnik) JBP/CDN