South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung expressed regret to Pyongyang on Monday over the incursion of a drone into North Korea earlier this year, calling the act “irresponsible.”
Initially, Seoul denied the government’s role in the January drone intrusion and suggested it was the work of civilians. However, Lee said the investigation found that government officials were involved in the incident.
In February, Pyongyang warned of a “terrible response” if more drones were found intruding into airspace, forcing Seoul to investigate the claims.
What did Lee say?
“Although it was not our government’s intention, we express our regret to the North over the fact that the irresponsible and reckless actions of some individuals led to unnecessary military tension,” Lee said during a cabinet meeting.
“It has been confirmed that a National Intelligence Service officer and an active-duty soldier were involved,” Lee said.
He said South Korea’s constitution prohibits private individuals from taking actions that “might provoke the North.”
“Such actions, even if deemed necessary for the national strategy, should be taken with extreme caution,” he said.
Lee has been trying to improve relations with Pyongyang, however, his repeated overtures have been consistently ignored.
Lee’s expression of regret comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un branded Seoul the “most hostile state” in a policy address in March, in which he vowed to “completely reject and ignore it.”
Edited by: Natalie Muller