**North Korea Claims Discovery of South Korean Drone Amid Heightened Tensions**

North Korea announced on Saturday that it has discovered remains of what it claims to be a South Korean drone in Pyongyang. This discovery allegedly substantiates their earlier accusations of South Korean military drones intruding into North Korean airspace earlier this month. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff dismissed the claims, calling them "unilateral" and not worthy of a response.

The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency published images of what appeared to be a damaged drone with distinctive V-shaped wings and winglets. According to the agency, a joint investigation by North Korea’s military and state security agencies concluded that the drone, found on October 13, was identical to ones used in a South Korean military parade earlier this month.

North Korea accused its southern neighbor of conducting three separate drone operations over Pyongyang this month to drop anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets. The Defense Ministry in Pyongyang warned that any future drone flights would be met with force. While the drone found in Pyongyang is suspected to be one of those used to distribute leaflets, North Korea stated that further examinations are required to confirm this.

In the event South Korea denies that the drone was used for leaflet drops, North Korea argues that this would imply another form of aerial violation by the South Korean military. North Korea’s Defense Ministry called any such violation a "declaration of war," promising an immediate retaliatory attack.

Initially, South Korea’s defense minister issued a vague denial of the accusations made by North Korea on October 11. The South's military later clarified that it could not confirm whether the accusations were accurate.

Tensions between the two Koreas have escalated to their highest level in years, exacerbated by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's increased weapons tests and threats, alongside expanding military cooperation with Russia. South Korea has alleged that North Korean troops have been dispatched to support Russia's actions in Ukraine.

The situation has further deteriorated due to Cold War-style psychological warfare tactics employed by both nations. Since May, North Korea has sent numerous balloons filled with paper waste and other trash into South Korea. In response, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported detecting another balloon launch on Saturday evening, urging citizens to be wary of falling debris.

In retaliation, the South Korean military has used border loudspeakers to broadcast propaganda and popular South Korean music, such as K-pop, into North Korea. This is particularly aggravating for North Korea, which is highly sensitive to external criticism of Kim Jong Un’s regime and the ruling family's dynastic control.