This image released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Oct. 11, shows purported anti-Pyongyang leaflets allegedly sent by South Korea to the North. Yonhap

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) criticized the military Saturday for saying it could not confirm North Korea's claim that South Korea had sent unmanned drones over Pyongyang.

During a press briefing at the National Assembly, DPK spokesperson Han Min-soo pointed to the government's vague response to the North's accusation, calling it an "irresponsible" act that "disrespects the public."

"The Yoon Suk Yeol government should not leave the people vulnerable to North Korea's provocative threats," he said. "It needs to keep in mind that the only way to alleviate the public's anxiety is by informing them of the situation accurately and disclosing its response."

On Friday, North Korea claimed the South had sent unmanned drones over Pyongyang three times since last week, prompting it to float trash balloons toward Seoul, which marked the 28th incident of its kind since May.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun initially denied the accusation during a National Assembly audit, saying the South did not send a drone to the North and that he was "not aware" of the situation.

However, he later told lawmakers that he "could not confirm the truth behind such claims" after briefly leaving the audit session. The Joint Chiefs of Staff also neither confirmed nor denied the claim in a text message sent to reporters.

In response to the North's balloon launches, the South's military has been blasting daily anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts through loudspeakers along the border since July. It has refrained from directly shooting down the balloons, citing safety concerns. (Yonhap)