In response to what it describes as “an intrusion” by a US spy plane into its airspace, the North Korean military said on Friday it had launched fighter jets.
The American aircraft passed Thursday morning off a North Korean economic zone in the east of the country, a military spokesman said in a statement published by the North Korean agency KCNA.
The military “promptly ordered” its fighter jets to “emergency sally to the airspace intruded by the US strategic reconnaissance aircraft and remain in a state of readiness.” ‘alert,’ the statement said.
The spokesperson referred to a “dangerous military provocation” by the United States and warned that the North Korean military “would not hesitate to take all countermeasures to defend the sovereignty” of the country.
Last month, North Korea threatened to shoot down US surveillance planes that violated its airspace, accusing Washington of “intensified espionage activities” beyond “wartime”.
This new incident comes as the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea are meeting for a summit at Camp David.
They must agree on a plan for military exercises spread over several years and commit to consulting during periods of crisis, said Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser.
