South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday expressed regret to Pyongyang after a drone entered North Korea earlier this year, calling the act “irresponsible.”
Seoul initially denied government involvement in the January incursion and suggested it was the work of civilians. Lee said an investigation found that government officials had been involved.
In February, Pyongyang warned of a “terrible response” if it found more drones transgressing its airspace, prompting Seoul to investigate the claims.
“Although it was not our government’s intention, we express our regret to the North over the fact that unnecessary military tensions were caused by the irresponsible and reckless actions of some individuals,” Lee said at a cabinet meeting.
“It has been confirmed that a National Intelligence Service official and an active-duty soldier were involved,” he added, noting that South Korea’s constitution bans private individuals from conducting acts that could “provoke the North.”
Lee said such actions, even if considered necessary for national strategy, must be approached with extreme caution.
Lee has been trying to mend ties with Pyongyang, but his repeated overtures have been consistently brushed off. His expression of regret follows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un labeling Seoul the “most hostile state” in a March policy address in which he vowed to “thoroughly reject and disregard it.”
Edited by: Natalie Muller