TOKYO, August 18. /TASS/. North Korea has scrambled fighter jets after a US reconnaissance plane intruded into its economic zone near the east coast, the General Staff Department (GSD) of the Korean People's Army (KPA) said in a statement, published by the Korean Central News Agency.

The statement said that a US aircraft intruded into North Korea’s economic zone at a depth of about 14 kilometers in an area 520 kilometers from Wonsan Port on August 17. In response, the North Korean fighter jets were scrambled. As a result of these countermeasures, the US aircraft left the area. No incidents were reported.

According to the statement, the US plane had reconnaissance purposes. "Our military is ready to take all measures to safeguard the sovereignty of the republic," the statement said.

North Korea previously reported that US reconnaissance aircraft violated airspace over its exclusive economic zone more than 30 times in early July. Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and first vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, also said that such actions by Washington could lead to a "dangerous situation for US military aircraft."