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South Korea vows military response to North’s balloons, stoking escalation fears
With public safety at stake, the South’s response could include targeted actions against the balloons themselves, observers say
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South Korea’s vow to take “stern military measures” if public safety is threatened by the thousands of trash-filled balloons North Korea has floated southwards in recent weeks marks the latest shot across the bows in a tit-for-tat exchange that shows no signs of abating.
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Incheon International Airport, one of Asia’s busiest, experienced temporary stoppages on Monday after a balloon was spotted nearby.
Operations were halted for about 70 minutes before authorities confirmed that the balloon had landed in the ocean. However, just 10 minutes after flights had resumed, debris was discovered within the airport compound, prompting another brief suspension of operations.
“Further disruptions in air traffic are expected as debris from trash-carrying balloons continues to be spotted,” an airport official told the JoongAng Daily.
North Korean balloons caused five runway disruptions at Incheon and Gimpo airports in June and July, affecting 133 flights and 18,000 passengers, according to data submitted by Seoul aviation authorities to the National Assembly.
Since late May, North Korea has launched around 5,500 trash-filled balloons on 22 separate occasions, retaliating against anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by defectors and activists in the South.
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