South Korean president weighs apology to North Korea over allegations of leafleting and drone use

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday he’s weighing a possible apology to North Korea over suspicions that his ousted conservative predecessor intentionally sought to raise military tensions between the war-divided rivals in the buildup to his brief martial law declaration in December 2024.

Speaking to reporters on the first anniversary of imprisoned former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s ill-fated power grab, Lee — a liberal who won a snap presidential election following Yoon’s removal from office in April — stressed his desire to repair ties with North Korea. But asked about North Korea’s yearslong detentions of several South Korean nationals, Lee said he wasn't aware of the issue, drawing criticism from relatives who call for their safe return.

A special prosecutor last month indicted Yoon and two of his top defense officials over allegations that he ordered drone flights over North Korea to stoke tensions. South Korean media also reported Monday that South Korea's military under Yoon's presidency flew balloons carrying propaganda leaflets across the border.

While the drone and leafleting allegations have yet to be proven in court, Lee still said he personally wishes to apologize to North Korea.

“I do think we need to apologize, but I haven’t been able to say so because I worry it could be used to smear (me) as pro-North Korean or spark political ideological battles” in South Korea, Lee said. “That’s all I will say for the time being.”

The main conservative opposition People Power Party criticized Lee’s comments as politically divisive and urged him to safeguard the military’s honor.

North Korea publicly accused Yoon’s government of flying drones over Pyongyang to drop anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets three times in October 2024. South Korea’s military has declined to confirm the claims.

Since taking office in June, Lee has taken proactive steps to ease inter-Korean tensions, including turning off frontline loudspeakers that blared K-pop and world news and banning activists from flying balloons carrying propaganda leaflets toward North Korea. Pyongyang has so far ignored Lee’s overtures, with leader Kim Jong Un stating his government has no interest in dialogue with Seoul.

Lee lamented North Korea's stance but promised to continue to make peace gestures. He said the suspension of regular South Korea-U.S. military drills, which North Korea views as invasion rehearsals, could be an option to consider to convince Pyongyang to return to talks. That comments could invite criticism from conservatives who believe South Korea and the U.S. must maintain a firm readiness unless North Korea abandons its nuclear program.

When asked about how his government would bring back South Korean nationals detained in North Korea in the past decade or so, Lee baffled many when he said had never heard of those cases and asked his national security director, “Is it correct that (South) Korean nationals are being held?” He later said he lacked “specific information since this happened a long time ago” and would need more details before commenting.

At least six South Korean nationals have been detained in North Korea, three of whom were Christian missionaries involved in covert efforts to spread Christianity in the North. They were arrested in 2013 or 2014 before being convicted of plotting to overthrow North Korea's government and spying for Seoul, and sentenced to hard labor for life. The other three are North Korean-born defectors who had resettled in the South, and little is known about their arrests.

“My heart is aching. I think President Lee has little interests” in the detainees, said Kim Jeong-sam, the brother of one of the jailed missionaries, Kim Jung Wook. “I still pray for my brother's safe return at least three times a day.”

Choi Jin-young, the son of jailed missionary Choi Chun-kil, said he remains perplexed and disappointed. He said he feels so sad when he thinks about his father, who is likely in a prison with extremely poor conditions.

Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, a legal analyst at the Seoul-based Transitional Justice Working Group, said it's “unbelievable” for Lee to say he doesn't know the issue. “As president of our country, he should have known this and agonized how to resolve it, though it would be difficult to resolve it anytime soon,” he said.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Thursday the government has been striving to bring back its detained nationals in North Korea via dialogue. The ministry said that South Korea raised the issue of detainees during high-level talks with North Korea in 2018 — a period of temporary détente between the rivals.

All forms of talks between the Koreas have been stalled since 2019 amid tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program. Kim and Choi, the relatives of the jailed missionaries, said that Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told them in a recent meeting the government was pushing to restart talks with North Korea to bring back the detainees. The ministry said Chung met them in September.

During the news conference, Lee credited the South Korean people for “suppressing a self-coup" orchestrated by Yoon, pointing to how thousands gathered around the National Assembly and helped lawmakers get inside to vote down Yoon's martial law decree unanimously.

Lee recalled how he began livestreaming his journey to the National Assembly in a car, pleading for South Koreans to converge on the legislature, as hundreds of troops were surrounding the Assembly building. Near the end of the livestream, he was seen getting out of his car and climbing over a fence to enter the Assembly grounds.

“I started broadcasting with the belief that only the people have the strength to stop” the military takeover, Lee said.

Yoon was impeached by lawmakers later in December before he was formally removed from office following a Constitutional Court decision to dismiss him on April 4. Yoon is now jailed and standing trial on rebellion charges and other suspected crimes.

In a statement released Wednesday, Yoon repeated his earlier claim that martial law was a necessary move against the liberals who “sought to paralyze state affairs and undermine the free constitutional order.”

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a news conference to mark the first anniversary of the Dec. 3 martial law crisis at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a news conference to mark the first anniversary of the Dec. 3 martial law crisis at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, center, leaves after a news conference to mark the first anniversary of the Dec. 3 martial law crisis at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a news conference to mark the first anniversary of the Dec. 3 martial law crisis at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung gestures during a news conference to mark the first anniversary of the Dec. 3 martial law crisis at the Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

MIAMI (AP) — The Boston Celtics had a first quarter like none other in their storied history.

The Celtics scored 53 points — their biggest-scoring first quarter ever — in the opening 12 minutes of their game against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.

Boston's barrage is now tied for the second-highest-scoring first quarter in NBA regular-season history. Golden State had a 55-point opening quarter at Portland on April 9, 2023, and Miami had a 53-point opening quarter against Charlotte on Nov. 7.

“Getting to the paint, getting to the basket and finishing. I think that was the catalyst,” Celtics forward Jaylen Brown said.

The Celtics went on to win 147-129, after seeing what was a 27-point lead trimmed to nine early in the fourth before pulling away again in the final minutes.

“I thought we executed pretty well,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “There's times when you execute well and you get good shot after good shot. It just kind of happens. Usually when you’re in moments like that and you start to feel it, you take poor shots. We didn’t do that. We kept fighting for a good look, the next best look and I thought that kind of kept the momentum going a little bit.”

Boston led 53-33 at the end of the quarter, after shooting 20 for 28 from the field and 11 for 15 from 3-point range.

The 53 first-quarter points was the second-highest total Boston ever had in a quarter; the Celtics had 54 in the fourth period of a game against the San Diego Clippers on Feb. 25, 1970. And it was the most points Miami ever allowed in any quarter; the Heat gave up 50 in the fourth quarter of a game at Seattle on Jan. 5, 1990.

Boston made 11 3-pointers in the opening quarter, with Sam Hauser going 5 for 5 from beyond the arc while playing all 12 minutes. Brown had 20 points by himself in the quarter — the ninth 20-point quarter of his career, including playoffs — and Hauser finished with 17 in the quarter.

“Sam has been really shooting the ball really well all season. ... Sam has been in his bag,” Brown said.

Brown ended up with 43 points for the Celtics, and Jayson Tatum had a 28-point, 18-rebound, 11-assist triple-double — his first of the season, after missing much of the year while recovering from the Achilles tendon tear he suffered in last season's playoffs.

“It was just high-level shotmaking on both ends,” Tatum said.

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Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) goes tot he basket as Miami Heat guard Pelle Larsson, left, and center Bam Adebayo, right, defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, left talks with forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)