Seoul’s military reported Sunday that North Korea has escalated its balloon-based provocations, sending hundreds more balloons filled with trash across the border in a recent surge. Since late Saturday, approximately 330 balloons carrying bags of refuse have been launched into South Korean territory.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, around 80 of these balloons have already landed in South Korean areas, while no additional ones are currently airborne. Fortunately, analysis indicates that the contents of the balloons pose no safety hazards, consisting mainly of waste paper and plastic.
The Seoul city government, along with officials from Gyeonggi province, issued a warning to residents via text message on Saturday, alerting them to the presence of these balloons. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon condemned North Korea’s actions as “low-class provocation” in a Facebook post.
This recent escalation comes in the wake of ongoing balloon launches by South Korean activists, who have been sending balloons carrying items like K-pop music, dollar bills, and anti-Kim Jong Un propaganda northward. Pyongyang’s response has been retaliatory, as seen in their previous launch of nearly a thousand balloons containing cigarette butts and toilet paper in early June.
The tension further intensified with the restart of balloon launches by North Korea, prompted by recent activism from South Korean groups. Despite legal limitations preventing Seoul’s government from intervening, the activities persist.
One such group, “Fighters for Free North Korea,” claimed to have sent 10 balloons filled with thumb drives containing K-pop music and 200,000 leaflets denouncing Kim’s regime. Meanwhile, another group of North Korean defectors reported sending 10 balloons on Friday carrying 100 radios, 200,000 anti-Pyongyang leaflets, and thumb drives featuring a speech by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
In response to these provocations, President Yoon has decided to fully suspend a 2018 military deal with North Korea, allowing South Korea to resume live fire drills and loudspeaker propaganda campaigns along the border. Seoul’s National Security Council convened on Sunday to address the latest developments regarding the balloon launches.
