SEOUL—Around 600 balloons filled with trash have been sent from North Korea to South Korea since Saturday evening, according to a statement from Seoul’s military. This influx of aerial debris occurs despite South Korea’s recent warning of severe reprisals for such provocations.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the balloons crossed the Military Demarcation Line and descended in Seoul and the neighboring Gyeonggi Province. The JCS detailed that the balloons contained materials such as cigarette butts, paper, and plastic bags, consistent with the composition of previous balloon payloads from the North. This latest launch follows North Korea’s deployment of approximately 260 balloons earlier in the week, which was said to be a retaliatory act against anti-Pyongyang leaflets distributed by South Korean activists.
The JCS has urged the public not to handle the balloon debris and to report any findings to military or police authorities, highlighting the potential dangers these objects pose, including the risk of toxic chemicals. In response to the ongoing situation, the military has been deployed to collect the debris rather than shooting down the balloons.
Additionally, the Seoul city government announced it would maintain a 24-hour emergency center to manage responses to these airborne threats effectively. The ongoing provocations from the North, including failed spy satellite launches and GPS jamming operations, have escalated tensions, prompting a scheduled meeting of South Korea’s National Security Council to deliberate further actions.
The unification ministry of South Korea reiterated on Friday that it would adopt “unendurably” painful measures if North Korea persists with its provocative behavior. Options under consideration include resuming psychological warfare tactics, such as loudspeaker broadcasts at the border and the distribution of leaflets criticizing the North Korean regime.