South Korea scrambles jets in response to North’s drones

North Korean drones crossed the South Korean border on Monday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. In response, South Korea scrambled its jets and fired warning shots. South Korean officials did not say whether their forces successfully shot down any of the drones. South Korea also advanced some of its drones across North Korea’s border.

What does an airspace incursion mean for the Korean Peninsula? It would constitute a violation of the provisions of the Korean Armistice Agreement of 1953. The agreement created a demilitarized zone between the two countries to prevent accidental military clashes. The North has not violated the South’s airspace in five years, and a new violation could escalate tensions even further after the North’s recent missile and satellite tests.

Dig deeper: Listen to my report on The World and Everything in It podcast about how Japan and South Korea are forging a closer bond in the face of Chinese and North Korean aggression.