SEOUL, December 27. /TASS/. Washington is holding consultations with Seoul regarding North Korea’s drones that invaded South Korean airspace on Monday and reaffirms US support of South Korea’s defense, Yonhap news agency reported citing as saying a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.

"We are aware of the reported DPRK drone flights across the military demarcation line, and we are consulting closely with the ROK about the nature of this incursion," the agency quoted its anonymous spokesperson as saying.

"We recognize the need of the ROK to protect its territorial integrity. The US commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea remains ironclad," he added.

According to Monday reports of the South Korean military, "unidentified objects" were detected on Monday in the border areas of Gyeonggi-do province at about 10:25 a.m. local time (4:25 a.m. Moscow time). The drones crossed the military demarcation line and appeared in the cities of Paju, Gimpo, and the Ganghwa Island, leading to the temporary suspension of about 30 civilian flights at Seoul airports.

The Republic of Korea responded by mobilizing its planes, helicopters and other aviation items. South Korean servicemen sent warning messages, fired warning shots, then "launched an operation to destroy them (the unidentified objects - TASS)." In addition, the South Korean side "responded proportionately" by sending its own reconnaissance equipment into the border zone, including north of the military demarcation line.

Among the South Korean equipment involved was a KAI KT-1 Woongbi aircraft. It was earlier reported that it crashed for unspecified reasons at about 11:39 a.m. local time (5:39 a.m. Moscow time), the pilots were not hurt. The last time North Korean drones violated the border was in 2017.