Russia urges S. Korea to avoid provocations amid N. Korea's drone allegations
A coastal village in Hwanghae Province is seen from Yeonpyeong Island, Incheon, Oct. 14. Yonhap
Russia has called on South Korea to refrain from further provocations in response to North Korea's accusation that Seoul had deployed unmanned drones.
North Korea claimed Friday that South Korea sent unmanned drones carrying anti-North propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang on Oct. 3, as well as on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, however, said he could not confirm the North's claim.
"The South Korean authorities should take Pyongyang's warnings very seriously and cease further escalation on the peninsula through their reckless and provocative campaign, which exacerbates tension and could lead to actual armed confrontations," Maria Zakharova, Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman, said in a statement Monday (local time).
She further said that such actions are a violation of North Korea's sovereignty and interference in its internal affairs.
"It is imperative for Seoul to recognize that the propagation of a concept of the merger of the two Koreas by South Korea via the imposition of pseudo-liberal values and the expansion of certain 'freedoms' constitutes a security risk, primarily to its own citizens," according to the statement.
The statement came as Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted the draft of the federal law for the ratification of the North Korea-Russia treaty.
In response, the South Korean government expressed regret over Russia's statement.
"We deeply regret that the Russian foreign ministry is supporting North Korea's baseless claims, which have not even been confirmed, and accusing South Korea of violating North Korea's sovereignty and interfering in its internal affairs," a foreign ministry official said on the condition of anonymity.
Tensions are running high on the Korean Peninsula, as North Korea warned of a "horrible disaster" if South Korea sends more drones over the North's capital.
Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of the North's leader, issued a series of sharp-tongued statements accusing South Korea of flying drones into Pyongyang. She claimed Monday that the South Korean military was behind the alleged drone infiltration, without providing evidence.
In response to North Korea's military threat, South Korea's defense ministry has warned that the North will face "the end of its regime" if it causes any harm to South Korean people. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff has said it could not confirm whether the North's drone claims were true. (Yonhap)