North Korea Accuses US of Conducting 170 Spy Flights in August

Text of report in English by South Korean news agency Yonhap

Seoul, 31 August: North Korea claimed Wednesday [31August] that US spy planes flew 170 surveillance sorties over its territory in August alone.

The US aerial surveillance flights were most conducted during its annual joint military exercises with South Korea, said the (North) Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), citing a military source.

The annual South Korea-US military exercise, named Ulchi Focus Lens (UFL), is largely a computer-simulated war game. The exercise kicked off on 22 August for a 12-day run.

The KCNA, North Korea’s official news agency, said the US military conducted the spy flights with U-2, RC-7B, and RC-12 planes.

North Korea has routinely denounced joint military drills by the two allies as war rehearsals and preparations for a pre-emptive attack.

About 32,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea to deter possible aggression from North Korea. The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended without a peace treaty.