S. Korea Fires Shots After Invading North Drones

    Photo: Yonhap/EPA-EFE [via The Guardian]

    The Facts

    • South Korea's military deployed fighter jets, attack helicopters and fired warning shots on Monday, after it reportedly detected five North Korean drones crossing into its airspace in the morning, four of which flew around Ganghwa island and one over Seoul's northern airspace.

    • The drones were allegedly similar to unmanned aerial vehicles spotted in 2014, which first prompted concerns of espionage from the North. They reportedly flew over the country for around seven hours, with attack helicopters firing about 100 shots but failing to shoot them down.


    The Spin

    Republican narrative

    You can’t blame Kim Jong-un for flexing North Korea’s military muscle when Biden is recklessly saber-rattling with Taiwan and China — how does he know the US won't also team up with South Korea for an invasion of the North? Trump's relationship with, and policies towards, North Korea maintained stability in the Korean Peninsula.

    Democratic narrative

    Kim Jong-un's geopolitical actions have been erratic, and his missile launches are destabilizing the Peninsula. Instead of provoking a confrontation, the leader should take the Biden administration up on its offer to meet without preconditions, and settle any grievances peacefully. Biden is showing strength and prudence in the region.

    Libertarian narrative

    The US has threatened to nuke North Korea, which has the right to defend itself. The US should stop playing 'GloboCop' and prioritize solving its domestic problems.

    Nerd narrative

    There's a 15% chance that North Korea and South Korea will be recognized as a single sovereign state by 2045, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


    Political split

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