North Korea’s Kim Yo-jong calls Chung Dong-young’s drone apology “relatively reasonable,” urges steps to prevent recurrence

According to Financial News, Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the Workers’ Party of Korea, described Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young’s expression of regret over a recent drone intrusion into North Korea as a “relatively reasonable act” and urged South Korea to put in place measures to prevent a recurrence.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on the 13th, Kim said in a statement released the previous day, "I consider it fortunate that Chung Dong-young, South Korea’s Minister of Unification, officially expressed regret on the 10th over the anti-Republic drone intrusion that occurred at the very start of the new year," adding, "I regard this as a relatively reasonable act."
Earlier, on the evening of the 10th, Minister Chung said in a congratulatory address at a Mass held at Myeongdong Cathedral, "I express deep regret to the North over the reckless drone intrusion that occurred this time." This was the first time a senior South Korean government official had expressed regret to North Korea over the drone incident.
Kim stressed, "The South Korean authorities should not try to gloss over the crisis they have brought upon themselves with something like an expression of regret, but must instead devise reliable guarantees that can firmly prevent a recurrence of such grave violations of sovereignty as the intrusion into the airspace of our Republic."
She went on, "We have no interest whatsoever in who the main culprit behind the anti-Republic drone intrusion is, whether it is an individual or a civic group," adding, "What we take issue with is the very fact that a serious act of violating our national airspace without permission was carried out from South Korea."
She also warned, "If another provocative incident occurs that infringes upon the inviolable and sacred sovereignty of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), a harsh response will certainly follow," and added, "One of various response and attack options will clearly be chosen, and it will go beyond proportionality."
Kim again cautioned, "The South Korean authorities should focus on preventing a recurrence so that foolish acts are not carried out from within their own society." Her statement came three days after Minister Chung, as a senior government official, for the first time expressed regret over the incident, and it was not carried in Rodong Sinmun, which is read by North Korean citizens.
Meanwhile, Kim’s relatively positive response to Minister Chung’s expression of regret has drawn attention to whether it will accelerate the government’s push to restore the no-fly zones established under the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter