OAN Roy Francis
UPDATED 1:55 PM PT – Monday, December 26, 2022
North Korean drones crossed into South Korean airspace for the first time in 5 years on Monday.
The South Korean military scrambled their aircrafts and fired off warning shots after North Korea sent drones across the border into its airspace. Reports say that the drones were spotted flying in Gimpo, Ganghwa Island and Paju. The incident had led to the temporary suspension of civilian flights.
South Korea launched fighter jets and attack helicopters to shoot down the drones when they crossed the border, it is unclear whether the drones were shot down. This is the second incident where North Korea had sent drones across the border in recent years.
One of the aircrafts that was launched in response was a KA-1 light attack aircraft. It ended up crashing in Hoengseong County, but both pilots had escaped safely.
In 2017, the North had sent a drone into South Korean airspace, where it was believed to be photographing a U.S. missile defense system. The drone was found crashed and taken to be looked over by the Defense Ministry in Seoul.
Last Friday, North Korea had also launched two ballistic missiles in the direction of its eastern wars in retaliation for the South Korean-U.S. joint air drills. The country had condemned the drills and called them an “invasion rehearsal”
In 2022, North Korea claims to have performed major tests towards its first functional spy satellite as well as having developed an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.