North Korea launches more trash-filled balloons toward South Korea: Seoul military
- In May, North Korea floated waste-filled balloons toward South Korea, in response to activists sending political leaflets to the North via balloons
North Korea resumed flying balloons likely carrying trash toward South Korea on Thursday, the South’s military said, days after it vowed to respond to what it called repeated South Korean civilian leafleting campaigns in the North.
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North was “launching [suspected] trash balloons aimed at the South once again”, adding they were currently floating across the border.
“Citizens are advised to be cautious of falling debris. If you find any fallen balloons, do not touch them and report them to the nearest military unit or police station,” it added.
Beginning in late May, North Korea has floated numerous balloons carrying waste paper, scraps of cloth, cigarette butts and even manure toward South Korea, saying they were in response to South Korean activists sending political leaflets to the North via their own balloons. No hazardous materials were found.
In response, South Korea suspended a 2018 tension-reduction deal with North Korea, resuming propaganda broadcasts briefly and front-line live-fire military drills at border areas.
