Anchor: The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un issued another warning just several hours after claiming that a U.S. military reconnaissance plane repeatedly violated the North’s airspace. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, on its part, urged Pyongyang to put a stop to such false claims that heighten military tensions.
Our Bae Joo-yon has more.

Report: Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of the North’s leader, warned on Tuesday that U.S. forces will face a "very critical flight" if they continue with what she termed an "illegal intrusion."

She issued the warning in a statement carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) as she said that she will act “upon authorization” if a U.S. spy plane again violates the North’s exclusive economic zone(EEZ).

The warning came just nine hours after Kim accused a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft of intruding into the zone over waters east of Tongchon of Kangwon Province and waters southeast of Uljin County in North Gyeongsang Province between 5:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday.

In a separate statement issued under the name of the defense ministry spokesperson, the reclusive state repeated Kim’s claims and warned that it can shoot down U.S. planes.

Professor Yang Moo-jin at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul said the fact that the North has issued a string of statements could mean that it is planning to engage in a provocation.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) on Monday refuted the North's claims about airspace violations, accusing the North of intentionally raising tensions in the region with threatening remarks and actions over regular reconnaissance activity, while urging Pyongyang to immediately put a stop to such actions.

The JCS then warned the North that it would be held accountable for all consequences resulting from its actions taken against regular flight activities of South Korea and the U.S.
Bae Joo-yon, KBS World Radio News.