(Updated at 5:35 p.m. KST on Dec. 29 with details about South Korean military drill to simulate intercepting UAVs)

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has ordered officials to “punish and retaliate” in response to any North Korean “provocations” and not be afraid of its nuclear weapons, his office said Wednesday.

Yoon also visited the country’s arms development agency on Thursday to review Seoul’s defense system against DPRK drones and warned Pyongyang of “severe consequences” after it sent unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into South Korea earlier this week.

“Make sure to punish and retaliate in the event of any North Korean