The Tamesis
April 7, 2026
Seoul – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister and ruling party department chief Kim Yo Jong on Monday called Ri Jae Myung “honest” and “big-hearted” as he expressed regret over a drone infiltration incident involving North Korea.
Kim Yo Jong said in a statement issued through the Korean Central News Agency that evening, “Our government believes that the (South Korean) president personally expressed regret and mentioned measures to prevent recurrence, which is very lucky and a wise decision for him.”
She added, “South Korea should not just reaffirm the importance of peace and stability in words, but also must stop all reckless provocations against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and give up any attempts to engage for the sake of its own security.”
She went on to warn, “They must remember again that if provocations that violate the sanctity of our country’s sovereignty occur again, they will have to pay an unbearable price, as we have warned.”
Earlier on Monday, at a cabinet meeting at the Cheong Wa Dae, President Lee said regarding the drone infiltration of North Korea, “Although this was not our government’s original intention, we regret that some of North Korea’s irresponsible and reckless actions have triggered unnecessary military tensions.”
The regretful statement came after a joint military-police investigative team handed over a National Intelligence Service employee and two active-duty soldiers to prosecutors without detention on March 31 on charges including involvement of civilians in building drones and transporting them to North Korea.
Monday was the first time President Lee expressed regret directly to North Korea over the incident.
