Wi Sung-lac, national security adviser (left), and Chung Dong-young, unification minister. Wi briefs the press on President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Japan at the presidential office in Seoul on Jan. 9. Chung delivers a New Year’s address at the Ministry of Unification’s ceremony held at the Government Complex Seoul on Jan. 2. (Yonhap) Differences in top Seoul officials’ comments relating to alleged South Korean drone incursions into North Korea are once again highlighting dissonance in North Korea policies within the South Korean government.
“North Korea again issued a statement late last night demanding acknowledgment, an apology and guarantees against recurrence regarding the drone incident,” Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said during a briefing at an affiliated Unification Ministry agency.
“A joint (South Korean) military-police investigation team is moving swiftly, and once the results are out, the government will take corresponding measures,” he added.
The comment came after Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, demanded an admission and apology from Seoul.
Chung’s remarks were widely interpreted as leaving open the possibility of a government-level apology should responsibility be established. He also pointed to precedent, referencing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s apology in 2020 following the killing of a South Korean fisheries official in the West Sea.
“At the time, the highest leader of North Korea expressed regret, saying he was ‘very sorry for having added great disappointment’ to our people and president,” Chung said. “In light of that, our government may consider measures that correspond to such a precedent.”
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, however, emphasized restraint and caution, warning against framing the situation as a potential diplomatic opening.
“There are people engaging in hopeful thinking that this could become some kind of turning point for inter-Korean relations, but the situation is not at that stage,” Wi said during a briefing in Japan on Wednesday, where he was accompanying President Lee Jae Myung on an overseas visit.
“We need to respond calmly, coolly and in a composed manner, doing what needs to be done,” he said.
Wi also indirectly criticized remarks by an unnamed Unification Ministry official on Tuesday who suggested the North’s statements may leave room for renewed communication.
“North Korea’s past drone flights toward Cheong Wa Dae and Yongsan were also violations of the armistice,” Wi said. “We must respond from a balanced perspective, taking into account existing laws, the armistice system and overall efforts to reduce tension on the Korean Peninsula.”
Kim Yo-jong on Tuesday dismissed expectations of improved inter-Korean relations as “wishful thinking,” while demanding an apology and preventive steps over what Pyongyang claims were South Korean drone incursions in September and on Jan. 4. The statement came days after an earlier statement on Sunday in which Kim Yo-jong demanded a “detailed explanation” from Seoul regarding alleged drone incursions into North Korean airspace.
North Korea argues that the drones, regardless of whether they were sent by the military or civilians, violated its airspace and sovereignty.
Sept. 19 agreement and criticisms
Wi added Wednesday that the government is reviewing the restoration of the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement, saying, “Restoring the Sept. 19 agreement is the government’s direction and also a guideline given by the president,” while noting that internal coordination and contingency planning would take time.
Signed in 2018, the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement sought to reduce military tensions by creating buffer zones on land, sea and air and banning hostile acts near the border. The accord has been largely suspended after North Korea resumed military activities in violation of its terms.
The government’s differing signals have drawn criticism from the main opposition People Power Party, which warned against making concessions to Pyongyang based on what it called unilateral claims.
Senior spokesperson Choi Bo-yun of the People Power Party said Thursday that the alleged drone incursions “remain nothing more than North Korea’s one-sided assertion.”
“Despite the lack of clear verification or factual confirmation, the government first raised the possibility of civilian involvement,” Choi said. “As a result, South Korean citizens are being pushed into the position of investigation targets — a situation that President Lee Jae-myung himself has created.”
Choi also criticized the push to restore the Sept. 19 military agreement, arguing that responsibility for its collapse lies with Pyongyang.
“It was North Korea that first violated and effectively nullified the agreement, and it continues to pose military threats even now,” she said. “Presenting restoration as an official guideline blurs responsibility, sends the wrong signal to Pyongyang and amounts to security backtracking.”
As the military-police investigation continues, the contrasting remarks by senior officials highlight an ongoing debate within the government: whether to prioritize diplomatic de-escalation or maintain a firmer security-first stance in responding to North Korea’s demands.
On Monday, South Korea launched a military-police investigation into allegations that drones originating from the South intruded into North Korean airspace, a day after President Lee ordered the probe.
In November, South Korea’s Defense Ministry proposed holding military talks with Pyongyang to address issues related to clarifying the military demarcation line. It was Seoul’s first formal offer of dialogue with the North since President Lee Jae Myung took office in June on a pledge to repair strained relations and lay the groundwork for renewed engagement. North Korea has yet to respond.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com