Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of North Korea's Labor Party, said she highly evaluated Minister Chung Dong-young's expression of regret and intention to prevent a recurrence over the South's unmanned aerial vehicle incursion, but added that the North would strengthen vigilance in the military demarcation line area.
On the 19th, in a statement released via the Korean Central News Agency, Kim said, "I highly evaluate that Minister Chung Dong-young of the South's Ministry of Unification on the 18th officially acknowledged the South's unmanned aerial vehicle provocation that violated the airspace of our state and once again expressed regret along with a determination to prevent a recurrence."
The day before, Minister Chung Dong-young of the Ministry of Unification held a briefing and said that, as a measure to prevent a recurrence of the drone incident, the government would preemptively review and push to partially restore the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement, including setting up no-fly zones.
Kim said, "I reiterate that, whoever the actor may be and by whatever means, if an infringement of the sovereignty of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea recurs, it will face a horrendous situation," adding, "This is not a threat but a clear warning."
She then argued, "It is entirely for the preservation of the South itself to devise collateral measures that can surely prevent a recurrence of a grave sovereignty-infringing provocation."
Kim added, "Our military leadership will take measures to strengthen vigilance over the entire southern border of the republic adjoining the South," and said, "The border with a hostile nation should, as a matter of course, be firm."
Following Kim Jong-un's assertion of two hostile states regarding inter-Korean relations, North Korea has been installing new barriers, fences, and anti-tank obstacles near the military demarcation line.
On the 13th, Vice Director Kim Yo-jong also released a statement evaluating Minister Chung Dong-young's expression of regret over the drone incursion as "a relatively common-sense action" and urging the preparation of measures to prevent a recurrence.