North Korea sends another wave of trash balloons into South Korea
Around 330 balloons filled with bags of trash were sent by North Korea since Saturday night, with approximately 80 landing in South Korea, according to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The packages contained waste paper and plastic but did not pose any safety hazards.
Since May 28, an estimated 1,060 balloons from North Korea have reached South Korean territory. In response, South Korea’s National Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss how to address this latest wave of balloons.
Last week, North Korea claimed to have sent a total of 3,500 balloons, carrying 15 tonnes of trash to its neighbor, citing its Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang Il.
In retaliation, South Korea announced that it would resume broadcasting propaganda messages through loudspeakers at the heavily armed border.
The two countries have been separated since the Korean War, and the balloon feud dates back decades. Groups like Fighters for a Free North Korea have been sending balloons carrying various items, including food, medicine, radios, propaganda leaflets, and South Korean news pieces. In response, North Korea sent balloons filled with trash, soil, paper, and plastic.
North Korea referred to the balloons as a response to South Korea’s longstanding practice of sending leaflets critical of the regime across the border.
Despite a recent statement from the North Korean minister, who said they would temporarily cease the trash balloon launches, South Korean activists sent their own balloons carrying leaflets condemning Kim Jong Un and USB sticks with K-pop and K-dramas.
South Korea’s JCS issued a warning on Saturday night, stating that North Korea was intensifying its trash balloon campaign and cautioning people to be careful of falling objects. They advised the public not to touch the balloons and to report any findings to the military or police.