How North Korea’s drones increase risk of inter-Korean conflict – Ep. 270

Multiple North Korean drones entered ROK airspace and even breached a no-fly zone near the presidential office late last year, prompting Seoul to order its own unmanned aerial vehicle to cross the border and photograph a DPRK military facility. The Yoon administration’s stated eagerness to “punish” what it considers North Korean provocations has significantly upped the stakes on the Korean Peninsula, and the risk of miscommunication and poor signaling leading to conflict looks set to continue to increase in 2023. This week, the NK News team joins the podcast to consider the new risk environment in the region and other recent North Korea developments. They discuss the evolving controversy over drone incursions, Pyongyang’s latest solid-fuel missile engine test, North Korea’s reported shipment of weapons to Russia’s Wagner Group, the most recent party plenum and more. This podcast features NK News Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim), Analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11) and Correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy). Check out our 2023 predictions pieces about the North Korean economy, society, nuclear and weapons development, and more here: Part I | Part II About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.