Kim Jong-un’s sister warns South Korea of ‘horrible disaster’

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, has warned South Korea of a “horrible disaster” if it sends drones to North Korea again.

On Saturday, North Korea said that Seoul had sent unmanned drones with anti-North Korean leaflets to Pyongyang three times over the past week.

Authorities in Seoul said they could not confirm whether the North’s claims were true, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

“The moment that a drone of the ROK [Republic of Korea] is discovered in the sky over our capital city once again will certainly lead to a horrible disaster,” Kim Yo-jong was quoted as saying by North Korean state news. “Personally, I wish that such a thing will not happen.”

Tensions have risen on the Korean peninsula after Pyongyang significantly expanded its missile tests over the past two years, while sharpening its rhetoric against the US and South Korea. It has also strengthened its military cooperation with Russia.

Last week, North Korea’s general staff said that it would cut all road and rail links to South Korea and fortify border areas. According to the military in Seoul, Pyongyang has also laid tens of thousands of landmines along the border area in recent months.