North Korea has accused rival South Korea of flying drones to its capital to drop anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets and threatened to respond with force if such flights occur again. South Korea issued a vague denial of the allegation.
North Korea鈥檚 Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday that South Korean drones were detected on Oct. 3 and Wednesday and Thursday this week.
The ministry accused the South of violating North Korea's "sacred" sovereignty and threatening its security, and described the alleged flights as a "dangerous provocation" that could escalate to an armed conflict and even war.
It said North Korean forces will prepare "all means of attack" capable of destroying the southern side of the border and the South Korean military, and respond without warning if South Korean drones are detected in its territory again.
"The safety lock on our trigger has now been released," the ministry said. "We will be prepared for everything and will be watching. The criminals should no longer gamble with the lives of their citizens."
Asked about the North Korean claims during a parliamentary hearing, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun told lawmakers, "We have not done that." He said he was still trying to assess the situation and didn't elaborate further.
It wasn't immediately clear whether Kim was referring to South Korean military drones, or also drones possibly operated by South Korean civilians.
The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff later said in a statement that it couldn't confirm whether the North's claims were true, without elaborating why. The joint chiefs warned the North to "exercise restraint and not act recklessly."
"If the safety of our citizens is threatened in any way, our military will respond with stern and thorough retaliation," it said.
North Korea is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of the authoritarian government of leader Kim Jong Un and his family's dynastic rule over the country.
Since May, North Korea has sent thousands of balloons carrying paper waste, plastic and other trash to drop on the South, in what it described as retaliation against South Korean civilian activists who flew balloons with anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border. South Korea's joint chiefs said in a separate statement that the North was again flying balloons toward the South Friday evening and warned civilians to beware of objects falling from the sky.
South Korea's military responded to the North's balloon campaign by using border loudspeakers to broadcast propaganda and K-pop to North Korea.
The psychological warfare campaigns have further escalated tensions created by Kim's weapons tests and verbal threats of nuclear conflict against Washington and Seoul. The allies have responded by strengthening their combined military exercises and expanding three-way cooperation with Japan, while also upgrading nuclear deterrence plans built around U.S. strategic assets.
On Wednesday, North Korea said it will permanently block its border with South Korea and build front-line defense structures to cope with "confrontational hysteria" by South Korean and U.S. forces.
North Korea's military said in a statement on state media that it will "completely cut off roads and railways" linked to South Korea and "fortify the relevant areas of our side with strong defense structures."
North Korea called its steps a "self-defensive measure for inhibiting war and defending the security" of the country and accused its rivals of "getting ever more reckless in their confrontational hysteria." North Korea cited what it called various military exercises in South Korea, the deployment of U.S. strategic assets and its rivals' harsh rhetoric.
Experts say Kim's nuclear push is aimed at eventually forcing the United States to accept North Korea as a nuclear power and allowing the North to negotiate security and economic concessions from a position of strength.
In written answers to questions by The Associated Press this month, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said North Korea will likely stage major provocations such as a nuclear test explosion or an intercontinental ballistic missile test around the U.S. presidential election in November to grab Washington's attention.
Yoon also condemned North Korea over its balloon campaign and warned that it "will face consequences that it will find difficult to withstand" if its balloon activities jeopardize the safety of South Korean people. He didn't elaborate on what steps his government was considering.
------
Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim contributed to this report.
愛污传媒 is projecting the New Brunswick Liberals will form a majority government in the province, returning to power for the first time since 2018. Leader Susan Holt will become the first female premier of the province.
The University Health Network is making masks mandatory as respiratory illness season ramps up.
The investigation into the sudden death of a 19-year-old Walmart employee over the weekend is ongoing in Halifax.
Two men charged in the killing of former Air India bombing suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a British Columbia court.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces growing pressure to step aside, former B.C. premier Christy Clark says she is open to 'returning to politics' should the position of Liberal leader become available.
Mounties on Vancouver Island say one person is dead and another is presumed to have drowned after two vehicles were found submerged in a river following heavy rains that washed out roadways across British Columbia.
Daily life in Cuba has been largely affected since an outage led to a nationwide blackout in the country, followed by Tropical Storm Oscar hitting the country's east coast. If you're a Canadian stuck in Cuba through this ordeal, 愛污传媒 wants to hear from you.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun 鈥 a dual Canada-United States citizen and the target of an alleged assassination attempt in New York City last year 鈥 says the expelled Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, is 'less of a diplomat, and more of a hypocrite.'
Law enforcement officials found five people killed in a shooting inside a home southeast of Seattle on Monday morning and took a teenager into custody, police said.
Mounties on Vancouver Island say one person is dead and another is presumed to have drowned after two vehicles were found submerged in a river following heavy rains that washed out roadways across British Columbia.
Two men charged in the killing of former Air India bombing suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a British Columbia court.
A 23-year-old woman is recovering in hospital after being shot while lying in her bed in Repentigny, Que. on Friday night.
Ontario Provincial Police charged an impaired Vermont man who illegally crossed the border into Canada and thought he was still in the United States.
Daily life in Cuba has been largely affected since an outage led to a nationwide blackout in the country, followed by Tropical Storm Oscar hitting the country's east coast. If you're a Canadian stuck in Cuba through this ordeal, 愛污传媒 wants to hear from you.
The investigation into the sudden death of a 19-year-old Walmart employee over the weekend is ongoing in Halifax.
Law enforcement officials found five people killed in a shooting inside a home southeast of Seattle on Monday morning and took a teenager into custody, police said.
The navy identified on Monday the two crew members who died last week in a jet fighter crash near Mount Rainier as two 31-year-old aviators from California.
Members of the 'Central Park Five' sued former President Donald Trump on Monday over "false and defamatory" statements they allege he made about their 1989 case during a presidential debate last month.
New York magazine and its star political reporter, Olivia Nuzzi, have decided jointly to "part ways" after reports that she had a personal digital relationship with a source while covering the 2024 campaign.
Peru's former president Alejandro Toledo on Monday was sentenced to 20 years and six months in prison in a case involving Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which became synonymous with corruption across Latin America, where it paid millions of dollars in bribes to government officials and others.
A new three-minute time limit on goodbye hugs in a New Zealand's airport drop-off area is intended to prevent lingering cuddles from causing traffic jams.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces growing pressure to step aside, former B.C. premier Christy Clark says she is open to 'returning to politics' should the position of Liberal leader become available.
Liberal MP Sean Casey is the first to publicly confirm that he has signed a letter calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign, arguing it would be in the best interests of the country to let someone else take the reins.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun 鈥 a dual Canada-United States citizen and the target of an alleged assassination attempt in New York City last year 鈥 says the expelled Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, is 'less of a diplomat, and more of a hypocrite.'
A U.S.-based food manufacturer that supplies frozen waffles to major grocery chains across North America has launched a voluntary recall over concerns its products carry the potential for illness.
The University Health Network is making masks mandatory as respiratory illness season ramps up.
A Quebec-based religion says Health Canada is dragging its feet on a decision whether to allow members to use magic mushrooms in their ceremonies.
In the fight against cyber attackers, they reason AI can help just as much as it harms.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.
A Newfoundland scientist known for identifying a gelatinous, rancid mass that washed up on the island's shores decades ago is hoping to get his hands on a slice of the strange white globs appearing on the province's beaches.
Seven new lawsuits have been filed against Sean 鈥楧iddy鈥 Combs, including one alleging the rape of a 13-year-old girl. They come as his lawyers tried again Monday to get him freed on bail, and complained that a 鈥渇resh wave of publicity鈥 is endangering his right to a fair criminal trial.
Jennifer Lawrence will soon be a mom of two. The Oscar-winning actress is pregnant with her second child, a representative for Lawrence told Vogue on Sunday.
London鈥檚 Hyde Park was one of the several sites around the world this weekend for an outpouring of love, grief and recollection in honor of Liam Payne, the former One Direction boy band member who tragically fell to his death at a hotel in Buenos Aires last week at the age of 31.
Nearly six months after its opening, the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is boosting Canada's energy sector as promised 鈥 but questions still linger about who will pay for the project's massive cost overruns.
A Waterloo, Ont. tech company says it鈥檚 been removed from the U.S. Department of Commerce鈥檚 entity list, after previously supplying technology allegedly used for mass surveillance and censorship.
High grocery and rental costs are squeezing lower-income Canadians even as inflation trends downward, a new survey suggests.
Summer might be the most popular season for tourism to Europe, but it hardly promises a calm, cool and collected experience.
Husband-and-wife food bloggers and podcasters Sonja and Alex Overhiser have a new cookbook that uses a simple step to keep the kitchen a less heated place for two chefs: clear, alternating roles.
At 2 p.m. on Thursday, the scene at the Lions Club in Clarenville, N.L., rivalled any rowdy St. John's bar that thumps with music late on a weekend night.
Tua Tagovailoa does not want to be the face of traumatic brain injuries in the NFL, but he knows that's the reality confronting him after his latest concussion.
A parliamentary committee will not question the coaches of the national women's soccer team about the Paris Olympics cheating scandal, after Liberal and Bloc Qu茅b茅cois MPs voted against launching a study today.
If LeBron James Sr. and his son, Bronny, make NBA history Tuesday night by playing in the same game for the Los Angeles Lakers, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. will be there to witness it.
An increased risk of fire has prompted the recall of thousands of Honda hybrid vehicles in Canada.
The U.S. government's road safety agency is investigating Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' system after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian.
Canada鈥檚 border guards have seized more than 1,900 stolen cars so far this year at railyards and ports, which is over a hundred more than in 2023.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.
A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.
A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥
John Cantin vividly remembers opening day for his Victoria diner. Stress levels were high, tables were full, and one of the most popular menu items couldn鈥檛 be freed from the unyielding grip of the waffle maker.
A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.
A B.C. judge has issued a decision in a years-long dispute between neighbours that began with a noise complaint over barking dogs, crowing roosters and quacking ducks 鈥 awarding $15,000 in damages to the plaintiffs in the case.
Vancouver firefighters are responding to what they describe as a multi-unit, multi-floor blaze at a high-rise in the city's West End Monday afternoon.
Mounties on Vancouver Island say one person is dead and another is presumed to have drowned after two vehicles were found submerged in a river following heavy rains that washed out roadways across British Columbia.
A school in Victoria, B.C., went into lockdown Monday before police tasered and arrested a man in the library, according to authorities.
The family of a man who died following a fight during a break-in at his Mississauga home earlier this month is appealing to anyone with information to contact authorities.
The University Health Network is making masks mandatory as respiratory illness season ramps up.
A Durham police officer has been charged criminally after he allegedly failed to render medical assistance to a person in distress.
Three people were sent to hospital following a crash on Peigan Trail Monday morning.
Calgary Parking says there is 鈥渘o need to worry鈥 about stickers covering the contactless payment sensors on payment machines in the city.
Police now say a deadly shooting Friday evening in northeast Calgary is linked to organized crime. According to police, about a quarter of the year's total shootings are.
A cat rescue southwest of Ottawa is under investigation after allegations of abuse, neglect and falsified medical records have surfaced.
As federal employees head into the office three days a week under the federal government's new hybrid work model, the City of Ottawa is only requiring its hybrid employees to be in the office a minimum of two days a week.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says the City of Ottawa is taking a "couple of important steps" to reduce heavy truck traffic in the village of Manotick, including banning transport trucks on a section of Manotick Main Street immediately.
A Quebec-based religion says Health Canada is dragging its feet on a decision whether to allow members to use magic mushrooms in their ceremonies.
A 23-year-old woman is recovering in hospital after being shot while lying in her bed in Repentigny, Que. on Friday night.
Some people living in the Le Plateau-Mont-Royal are seeing red over a new landscaping project meant to bring more green to the neighbourhood.
Edmonton Public Schools support workers will go on strike on Thursday.
Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told media Monday after practice that although his team's usually potent power play has been sputtering badly to start the season, he's not ready 鈥 yet 鈥 to make changes to it.
A Stony Plain basketball coach has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges.
愛污传媒 is projecting the New Brunswick Liberals will form a majority government in the province, returning to power for the first time since 2018. Leader Susan Holt will become the first female premier of the province.
The investigation into the sudden death of a 19-year-old Walmart employee over the weekend is ongoing in Halifax.
A very fair and mild October weekend allowed for a few recording-setting high temperatures in the Maritimes.
Almost half of the Winnipeg鈥檚 construction projects are either done or substantially done, according to the city.
A community in southeastern Manitoba is asking for help as it鈥檚 trying to restore a historic church.
New data is revealing the good, the bad and the ugly of artificial intelligence in schools.
A sentencing decision for a Saskatchewan father who withheld his seven-year-old daughter from her mother for more than 100 days in 2021 and 2022 in an attempt to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine is now in the hands of a Court of King's Bench judge.
A Regina-based manufacturing company is hoping to break the world record for the longest trampoline, and they're already well on their way.
SaskPower is warning customers of an email scam currently making the rounds.
Victims are sharing the lasting impact of the 2023 triple stabbing at the University of Waterloo. The attacker, Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, previously pled guilty to four assault-related charges.
Testimony continued Monday at the trial of Erick Buhr, who has pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder of his grandmother, Viola Erb.
Three people from Brantford are facing charges after 6.3 kilograms of cocaine was seized during search warrants at five southwestern Ontario locations.
A Saskatoon LGBTQ+ advocate says if the Saskatchewan Party's proposed change room policy had been in place when he was a kid, he would not have survived high school.
The RCMP says a 32-year-old Saskatchewan woman has been charged with criminal negligence and impaired driving after causing a fatal collision in the wrong lane of Highway 11.
Saskatoon police have arrested a woman who investigators believe may have pushed a 76-year-old man down a flight of stairs on Friday night.
It鈥檚 a story of survival and perseverance. A Chihuahua and terrier mix named Diamondhas been reunited with her owners after going missing in Markstay-Warren in March.
An Indigenous group in northwestern Ontario shut down the highway for a couple of hours Monday morning in protest after ancestral remains were found at a construction site.
Sudbury's Matthew Klug who has been homeless for six months, says he was ordered by bylaw to tear down a structure he built beside his tent.
"We cannot allow the dehumanization of women and girls to occur even in its smallest [form]," said Mayor Morgan while speaking at the podium.
Lambton OPP have confirmed that a second person has died following a crash that took place last week.
Around 10 p.m. on Oct. 17, police said a teenaged girl met a man in the area of Clarke Road and Wavell Street. The two people struck up a conversation and walked together to the east side of a school in the area.
Police charged a motorist after a vehicle crashed into a home in Innisfil Monday afternoon.
The longest-serving mayor in Orillia鈥檚 history passed away on Friday. He was 85.
It's a summer-like day in mid-October, with temperatures hitting 24C across Simcoe County, feeling more like 27C with the humidex. These daytime highs aren't unheard of, but they are definitely not the norm.
The Windsor Liberation Zone organizers are pleased that the University of Windsor will not reconsider two agreements made with pro-Palestinian protestors. The agreements were signed after a nine-week occupation.
Despite the uncertainties of caring for a mother with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, Lisa Williams feels fortunate to have the time, energy and support of her immediate family.
The running community is mourning the death of a runner following the Detroit Free Press Marathon.
Mounties on Vancouver Island say one person is dead and another is presumed to have drowned after two vehicles were found submerged in a river following heavy rains that washed out roadways across British Columbia.
A school in Victoria, B.C., went into lockdown Monday before police tasered and arrested a man in the library, according to authorities.
Two people have been arrested and one is still at large in the alleged murder of a woman on Vancouver Island whose 2023 overdose death police treated as suspicious.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
Lethbridge police are advising the public of officer training on Tuesday that will happen in two different venues throughout the day.
Calgary scored three times in the first, and three times in the third as the Hitmen defeated the Lethbridge Hurricanes 6-1 Saturday at the Saddledome.
The last students to graduate from Lethbridge College will make history this weekend as they cross the stage at fall convocation.
Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.
An Indigenous group in northwestern Ontario shut down the highway for a couple of hours Monday morning in protest after ancestral remains were found at a construction site.
The owners of 73 vacant properties in the Sault have been fined for violations of the city's vacant properties bylaw, including 33 owned by a firm going through a high-profile insolvency process.
Police in western Newfoundland say a 77-year-old man visiting the province from Kansas is missing after a fire at a hotel in Deer Lake, N.L.
At 2 p.m. on Thursday, the scene at the Lions Club in Clarenville, N.L., rivalled any rowdy St. John's bar that thumps with music late on a weekend night.
A Newfoundland scientist known for identifying a gelatinous, rancid mass that washed up on the island's shores decades ago is hoping to get his hands on a slice of the strange white globs appearing on the province's beaches.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
