AdvertisementAdvertisementEast AsiaKim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, delivers a speech during a national meeting in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Aug 10, 2022. (File photo: AP/Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service)06 Apr 2026 09:17PM (Updated: 06 Apr 2026 09:22PM) Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInAdd CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST SEOUL: The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Monday (Apr 6) regret expressed by Seoul over a January drone incursion into the North is "wise behaviour".Earlier in the day, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret to Pyongyang over drones sent into the nuclear-armed North earlier this year, actions he called "irresponsible"."The ROK president personally expressed regret and talked about a measure for preventing recurrence. Our government appreciated it as very fortunate and wise behaviour for its own sake," Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, using the official name of South Korea.Seoul initially denied any official role in the January drone incursion - with authorities suggesting it was the work of civilians - but Lee said a probe had revealed government officials had been involved.Show MoreShow LessThe North warned in February of a "terrible response" if it detects more drones crossing the border from the South, prompting Seoul to investigate the claims.Pyongyang said it downed a drone carrying "surveillance equipment" in early January.Photos released by state media showed the wreckage of a winged craft scattered across the ground alongside grey and blue components that allegedly included cameras."It has been confirmed that a National Intelligence Service official and an active-duty soldier were involved," Lee told a Cabinet meeting."We express regret to the North over the unnecessary military tensions caused by the irresponsible and reckless actions of some individuals," he said.He added that South Korea's constitution bans private individuals from conducting acts that could "provoke the North"."Such actions, even when deemed necessary for national strategy, must be approached with extreme caution," he said.Kim Yo Jong said her brother had taken Lee's remark "as a manifestation of a frank and broad-minded man's attitude", but warned Seoul to "stop any reckless provocation against the DPRK and refrain from any attempt at contact", using the initials of the North's official name."The ROK side should be mindful that it will be forced to pay a price ... if such a provocation as violating the inalienable sovereignty of our state occurs again," she warned.Kim Jong Un says North Korea’s nuclear status is irreversible, threatens South KoreaSouth Korea says 'credible intelligence' indicates Kim Jong Un's daughter is his successorSouth Korea's Lee expresses regret to North Korea over drone incursion"MOST HOSTILE STATE"Lee has sought to repair ties with North Korea since taking office last year, criticising his predecessor for allegedly sending drones to scatter propaganda over Pyongyang.His repeated overtures, however, have gone unanswered by the North.Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol is standing trial over charges that his administration sent drones into the North to provoke a backlash and create a pretext for declaring military rule.Yoon was impeached and ousted from office in April last year and has been sentenced to life in prison over his declaration of martial law.Lee's expression of regret follows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un labelling Seoul as the "most hostile state" in a policy address in March in which he vowed to "thoroughly reject and disregard it".North Korea's leader also reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining the country's nuclear arsenal, describing it as an "irreversible course".During Yoon's presidency, relations between Seoul and Pyongyang hit rock bottom, with the North sending balloons filled with garbage, including animal manure, in response to propaganda leaflets sent northward by South Korea-based activists, many of them North Korean defectors.The two Koreas technically remain at war, as the 1950 to 1953 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, and both enforce mandatory military service for men.Source: AFP/fhNewsletterWeek in ReviewSubscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in ReviewOur chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.NewsletterMorning BriefSubscribe to CNA’s Morning BriefAn automated curation of our top stories to start your day.Sign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST