North Korea claims to have found crashed South Korean drone

North Korea on Saturday released photos of the remains of a South Korean military drone that it said was found in Pyongyang, that analysts confirmed resembled South Korean military drones.

According to state media KCNA, Seoul uses drones to drop propaganda over the capital Pyongyang.

"It is quite likely that the drone is the one which scattered leaflets over the center of Pyongyang Municipality," said KCNA. "But the conclusion has not yet been drawn."

A North Korean defense ministry spokesperson said authorities found the remains of the crashed drone during a search of the capital on October 13, KCNA reported.

The North's investigation "scientifically proved" that the drone came from the South, the official said.

In images released by the North, supposedly of the recovered drone, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can be seen lodged in a tree and others featuring North Koreans officials.

Drone detection 'declaration of war'

Pyongyang on Saturday reiterated its earlier warning that another drone incursion will be seen as "a declaration of war" and vowed immediate retaliation.

Initially, South Korea's military denied sending drones, but later released a statement saying there is "no value in verifying or responding to North Korea's unilateral claims."

Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said that based on the images released by the North, the drone was "clearly a long-range reconnaissance small drone used by ...the South Korean military".

"It is the same model that our military showcased during the Armed Forces Day event last year," he told AFP news agency.

Tensions on the rise

Tensions in the Korean Peninsula have been rising steadily as relations between the two countries increasingly deteriorate.

On Friday, Seoul accused North Korea of sending troops including special forces, to Russia to support its war in Ukraine.

This comes after South Korea's military said earlier this week that it fired warning shots near its heavily fortified border after North Korean forces reportedly destroyed roads along the border.

Pyongyang vowed to permanently seal off its southern border.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has frequently threatened to use nuclear weapons against South Korea and the United States, if attacked, while he pushed to accelerate North Korea's military growth, including its nuclear capabilities.

Amid stalled diplomatic communication, the North has been engaging in provocative missile tests, while the South intensified its military exercises with the US.

ss/jcg (AP, AFP, Reuters)