North Korea warns it may shoot down US spy planes

STORY: North Korea has accused the United States of flying spy planes over the country – and threatened to shoot them down.

That’s according to a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency website on Monday, which quoted North Korea’s Ministry of National Defence.

The statement said that a plane flew into North Korean airspace, quote, "dozens of kilometres over its east sea several times."

And that: "There is no guarantee that such a shocking accident as the downing of the U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen."

South Korea's military said North Korea's claim of airspace violation was false.

(SOUNDBITE) (Korean) JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF SPOKESPERSON COL. LEE SUNG-JUN SAYING:

“U.S. air surveillance assets conduct routine reconnaissance flights around the Korean peninsula and North Korea’s claim of airspace violation is not true. We strongly urge the North to immediately stop creating tension with these false claims.”

The North Korean statement said that provocative military actions by the U.S. were bringing the Korean peninsula closer to a nuclear conflict.

Last month an American nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine made a port call at Busan in South Korea.

That came amid air and navy drills being conducted by U.S. and South Korean forces, also involving a U.S. aircraft carrier and heavy bombers.

Less than two weeks ago, North Korea held mass rallies in Pyongyang showing posters with missiles hitting the United States.

Those marked the 73rd anniversary of the start of the Korean War.

State-run television KRT said people were heard shouting slogans vowing a "war of revenge.”

The rallies were held amid concerns Pyongyang could soon conduct another launch of its first military spy satellite to boost monitoring of U.S. military activities.

That’s after its first attempt ended in failure on at the end of May.