SEOUL -- Republic of Korea President Lee Jae-myung on Monday expressed regret to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea over the drone incident.

Lee told a cabinet meeting that, although it was not the intention of the ROK government, he, in his capacity as president, expressed his regret to the DPRK for the unnecessary military tension caused by the irresponsible and reckless actions of a few.

Lee ordered relevant ministries to immediately improve the system and swiftly implement enforceable measures to prevent such an incident from recurring, offering his deepest consolation to residents of the inter-Korean border areas who had been more concerned than anyone else regarding the incident.

It marked the first time since the drone incident came to light that the ROK leader expressed regret toward the DPRK.

At the government level, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young officially expressed regret to the DPRK in February over the unauthorized civilian drone flights into the DPRK.

Lee said the ROK constitution and laws strictly prohibit individuals from privately engaging in provocative acts against the DPRK, stressing that it was deeply regrettable that such private provocations took place.

The ROK people should clearly recognize that peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula are more important than anything else and should be maintained by themselves, Lee added.