South Korea doubts that North Korea will "start a war" as it would be "suicidal" for Pyongyang, National Security Bureau Director Shin Won-sik said, Paralel.Az reports.

"I believe that North Korea will not start a war unless it decides to commit suicide," the security adviser said in an interview with the KBS TV channel.

According to him, there has always been a risk of a new large-scale military conflict on the peninsula after the Korean War.

"Whether North Korea will start a war does not depend on its intentions, but on our will and readiness. It is crucial to make efforts to prevent the North from such an action," Shin Won-sik added. According to him, South Korea should maintain full readiness to respond to Pyongyang's "provocations."

The North Korean Foreign Ministry issued an ultimatum in a statement on Friday, demanding that Seoul stop sending the drones. According to the ministry, South Korean drones entered Pyongyang's airspace three times in October to distribute political leaflets. The ministry warned that the country's military would put on alert "all offensive means" aimed at "destroying military infrastructure near the southern border and inside the territory of South Korea.".