N. Korea Resumes Balloon Launches, Escalating Tensions with South Korea

Seoul: North Korea has resumed launching balloons presumed to be carrying trash toward South Korea, marking the end of a five-day pause. The South Korean military detected the latest launch early Thursday, raising concerns that the balloons might drift toward the broader Seoul area and the border provinces of Gyeonggi and Gangwon. According to Yonhap News Agency, this development follows a statement by Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who claimed on Tuesday that the North had discovered and removed "political motivational rubbish" allegedly sent by South Korea. Since late May, North Korea has been sending thousands of balloons filled with trash as a retaliatory action against anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets dispatched by South Korean activists. The previous balloon launch occurred last Saturday. In response, the South Korean military has been broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda through loudspeakers along the border since July. However, it has chosen not to sho ot down the balloons, citing concerns over safety. The ongoing exchanges of propaganda and trash have contributed to rising tensions between the two nations, with no resolution yet in sight.