South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated on Thursday that the military has never considered artillery fire in response to North Korea’s frequent release of balloons containing waste and trash toward the South.
The JCS sent a text message to reporters denying a report that the so-called “Yonghyeon Group,” allegedly led by former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, had prepared artillery strikes against the North about the balloons.
The JCS clarified, “The claim that subordinate units prepared artillery strikes against North Korea on multiple occasions, reaching the stage just before firing, is not true. The military is ready to respond immediately to enemy provocations and manages balloon incidents by establishing procedures between the JCS and subordinate units.”
The JCS further stated, “The report that Chairman Kim Myung Soo hesitated on multiple occasions, leading to the non-carrying out of artillery strikes, is completely false. The military has never considered artillery strikes responding to waste or trash balloons.”
Additionally, the JCS dismissed claims that the so-called Yonghyeon Group is active within its ground operations division, with figures like Director of Operations Lee Seung Oh allegedly at its center. The JCS stated, “There are no private factions within the military. Baseless allegations of this nature constitute severe defamation, and we are considering necessary legal actions.”
The JCS also denied a report that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the 707th Special Mission Group had used racing drones to shoot down North Korean balloons near Baengnyeong Island.
During a regular briefing, the JCS public affairs spokesperson, Lee Seong Jun, stated, “Baengnyeong Island is not a place where North Korean balloons frequently appear. Why would we conduct such operations in a location where they do not come? The 707th Special Mission Group does not conduct operations or training with drones, and racing drones have a minimal effective range.”
The NIS also issued a message to reporters denying the claims, saying, “The report made by Hankyoreh that the NIS repeatedly shot down North Korean waste balloons near Baengnyeong Island is a clear falsehood. The NIS has never intercepted North Korean balloons, nor has it ever collaborated with the 707th Special Mission Group.”
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