North Korea's Kim Yo Jong Accuses US of Violating Airspace

MOSCOW, July 10 (Sputnik) - A US reconnaissance plane entered the airspace above North Korea's economic zone on Monday morning, Kim Yo Jong, deputy department director of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and sister of the country's leader, said on Monday, as reported by North Korea state media.

"From around 5 a.m. today [20:00 GMT, July 9] a strategic reconnaissance plane of the US Air Force again conducted aerial reconnaissance of the eastern part of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea [DPRK] while intruding into the sky above the economic water zone beyond the military demarcation line," the politician said.

According to the statement, the US aircraft entered and then left the airspace above the economic zone of North Korea, but later, around 8:50 a.m. local time, once again intruded into the sky above the military demarcation line.

The US military has already received a "strong warning" about the possible repercussions for such provocations.

Besides, multiple violations of the DPRK's airspace have occurred earlier this month, a spokesman for the country's Ministry of National Defense said on Monday, as quoted by the outlet.

"This month alone, RC-135, U-2S and RQ-4B, strategic reconnaissance planes and reconnaissance drone belonging to the US Air Force, flew over the East and West seas of Korea [Sea of Japan] in turn for eight straight days from July 2 to 9 to conduct provocative aerial espionage on the DPRK's strategic interior. In particular, a strategic reconnaissance plane of the US Air Force illegally intruded into the inviolable airspace of the DPRK over its East Sea tens of kilometers several times," the spokesman said.

Relations between the United States and North Korea are strained, within the context of Pyongyang's increasingly ambitious nuclear program, the US sanctions and the latter's close military cooperation with South Korea, which includes frequent joint drills.