South Korea investigates two suspected North Korean drones
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Two drones found in South Korea are believed to be from North Korea, says officials
Questions raised about South Korea's defense and North Korea's capabilities
Earlier this week, two Koreas exchanged hundreds of shells across their western sea border
(CNN) -- Two drones, suspected of being from North Korea, have crashed in South Korea in the last two weeks, according to government officials from the South. The discoveries raise questions over South Korea's air defense and the North's aerial capabilities.
On Monday, a drone was discovered on Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, a strategically important location for the South's military. The drone crashed on the same day as the two Koreas exchanged fire off their western coasts.
South Korean government officials told CNN the most recent drone was traveling in a southward direction.
"We are investigating the drone that crashed into Baengnyeong Island with the assumption that it is North Korean," said a Blue House spokesperson.
Earlier, on March 24, another drone had been found in Paju, a city that sits a few miles south of the Demilitarized Zone. According to local media, the drone contained an image of the Blue House, the office and official residence of Park Geun-hye, the South Korean president.
The drone discovered in Paju had a North Korean-style word found on it, leading government officials to believe that both aircraft came from the country to undertake aerial surveillance.
The South Korean Ministry of National Defense said the small "elementary level" drones were fit with Japanese-made cameras and colored blue.
North Korea could be flying drones because it doesn't possess satellites to collect aerial information, said Professor Koh Yuwhan, a North Korean expert at Dongguk University in Seoul.
"The scary part of this is that the same drones can be used for terrorist attacks by loading weapons posing serious danger," he said. He added that another reason for Pyongyang sending the drones could be to show their capabilities.
North Korea has previously flaunted its drones during military parades.
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South Korean and U.S. forces are currently conducting annual joint military drills, which North Korea typically denounces -- it recently accused the United States of "aggression and interference" through its state-run news agency, KCNA.
Last month, North Korea fired rockets from its eastern coast, drawing criticism from South Korea and its allies. North Korea called the actions "self-defense."
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"(We) would not rule out a new form of a nuclear test aimed at strengthening our nuclear deterrence," North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried on KCNA. "The U.S. had better ponder over this and stop acting rashly."
The statement did not specify what the ministry meant by a "new form" of test.
On Monday, following the unusual step of informing its neighbors of live-fire drills, North Korea fired ordnance in and around the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border between the two. Several North Korean shells landed in South Korean waters, prompting return fire.
Hundreds of shells were exchanged between the two forces, according to South Korea's semi-official news agency Yonhap. No injuries resulted from the incident.
The recent incident raised stern warnings from allies of both Korean nations.
China, North Korea's staunch ally, expressed concern over escalating tensions.
"China opposes actions that undermine (the) peace and stability of the Peninsula and urge all parties to keep calm, exercise restraint, be discreet in words and deeds," Hong Lei, China's foreign ministry spokesperson, said earlier this week.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel echoed the sentiment. "The provocation that the North Koreans have, once again, engaged in, is dangerous and it needs to stop," he said.
By Stella Kim, Paula Hancocks and Madison Park, CNN
April 2, 2014 -- Updated 1345 GMT (2145 HKT)
日米韓 北朝鮮対応巡り来週局長級協議へ4月4日 4時00分 日米韓３か国は、北朝鮮への対応を巡る局長級協議を、来週前半、ワシントンで開くことを決め、北朝鮮に関する情報を分析するとともに、弾道ミサイルの発射などに自制を求めることを確認したいとしています。
先月、オランダで行われた日本とアメリカ、韓国の３か国の首脳会談では、北朝鮮問題を中心に緊密に連携していくことが重要だという認識で一致しました。
これを受けて、３か国は外務省の局長らによる協議を来週前半、アメリカのワシントンで開くことを決め、日本から外務省の伊原アジア大洋州局長、アメリカから北朝鮮問題を担当するデイビース特別代表、韓国からファン・ジュングク朝鮮半島平和交渉本部長が出席する予定です。
協議では、北朝鮮が弾道ミサイルの発射を繰り返し、先月３１日の砲撃訓練では１００発以上が境界線を越えて韓国側に着弾するなど、挑発的な行動を続けていることから、情報を共有して分析するとともに、３か国が連携して自制を求めることを確認したいとしています。
また、日本側は、北朝鮮との政府間協議を再開したことに触れ、拉致、核、ミサイルといった懸案の包括的な解決を目指す日本の立場を説明して、米韓両国の理解を求めることにしています。
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