TOKYO, July 10. /TASS/. North Korea has sent a warning to the United States that it may down US reconnaissance planes in its airspace, according to a spokesman for the DPRK’s Ministry of National Defense.

"The US will surely have to pay a dear price for its provocative air espionage, frantically staged even invading the opposite side's air space without previous notice. There is no guarantee that such a shocking accident as downing of the US Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen in the East Sea of Korea (Sea of Japan - TASS)," KCNA quoted him as saying in a statement on Monday.

The North Korean military official pointed to the US strategic reconnaissance planes RC-135, U-2S and reconnaissance drone RQ-4B flying in North Korea’s airspace in turn for eight straight days from July 2 to 9.

"We are now maintaining our utmost patience and self-control, but everything has its limit. The present is the time when the US is near the critical point to be concerned," he added.

In April, the presidents of the Republic of Korea and the United States, Yoon Suk-yeol and Joe Biden, approved a declaration under which South Korea affirmed its commitment to nuclear non-proliferation, while the US pledged to provide information on strategic and nuclear planning. Additionally, Washington vowed to step up the deployment of its strategic arms on the Korean Peninsula, including nuclear submarines.