A spokesman for the Ministry of National Defence of the DPRK said on October 18 that the ROK military gangsters' involvement in the serious provocation of violating the DPRK's sovereignty was clearly proved through the discovery of decisive material evidence and an objective and scientific investigation into it.

According to him, the Pyongyang Municipal Security Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security of the DPRK on October 13 discovered the remains of a crashed drone in the area of neighborhood unit No. 76, Sopho-dong No. 1, Hyongjesan District, while intensively searching the districts of Pyongyang Municipality.

A joint investigation group of the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of State Security and other relevant specialized institutions was organized to technically examine the remains of the drone.

As a result, it was scientifically proved that the drone came from the ROK.

Through the technical examination and analysis, the experts judged that the drone was a "light drone for long-range reconnaissance" equipped with by the "Drone Operation Command" of the ROK military and that it is the same type as the vehicle-carried one opened to public at an event marking the "ROK army day."

From the remaining battery power and fuel of the drone, they inferred that the drone might have been used at least five to seven days ago.

In light of the drone's shape, the presumptive period of flight, the leaflet-scattering box fixed to the underpart of the drone's fuselage and others, it is quite likely that the drone is the one which scattered leaflets over the centre of Pyongyang Municipality. But the conclusion has not yet been drawn.

If the drone's involvement in the recent leaflet-scattering incident is denied, it will be evidence of another wanton violation of the airspace of our country by a military means of the ROK and it will be taken more seriously as an example of a series of provocations by the military gangsters of the hostile country.

Despite the shameless excuses made by the ROK military, the objective evidence and scientific analysis go to clearly prove the ROK committed a hostile act of provocation of violating the DPRK's sovereignty.

Explicitly speaking again, the DPRK is not interested in the chief culprit and perpetrators of the drone provocation but focuses on the fact that the criminals, whether they are military gangsters or scum of out-of-border fugitives' organization, all belong to the clan of the hostile country.

The Ministry of National Defence of the DPRK and the General Staff of the Korean People's Army gave all units in the capital city and near the border instructions to reinforce anti-aircraft observation posts.

The General Staff decided to keep the combined artillery units and the units with important fire duties near the border in full combat readiness, and this decision has been approved.

The spokesman for the Ministry of National Defence of the DPRK warned that if the violation of the DPRK's territory, airspace and territorial waters by the ROK's military means is detected and confirmed again, it will be regarded as a grave military provocation against the sovereignty of the DPRK and a declaration of war and an immediate retaliatory attack will be launched.

KCNA