Seoul - The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea have reported the discovery of over 150 North Korean balloons dropped across the northern border as of Wednesday afternoon. Military rapid response and bomb disposal teams are currently recovering these balloons.
Since Tuesday night, North Korea has been flying numerous balloons carrying trash and excrement across the heavily fortified border between the countries, according to South Korea's military. They have condemned the act as base and dangerous.
"We sternly warn the North to immediately stop its inhumane and low-class actions," said Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The South Korean military advised civilians not to touch the objects being flown in from North Korea and to report them to the military or the police if spotted. There have been no immediate reports of damage caused by the balloons. However, in 2016, similar North Korean balloon activities caused damage to cars and other property.
Reason Behind North Korea's Actions
The move is widely seen as retaliation against South Korean activists, often led by North Korean defectors, who have been sending anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border. These balloons carry leaflets with messages critical of Pyongyang and have heightened tensions between the rival neighbors. There have been incidents where North Korea reportedly attempted to shoot down these balloons.
Reacting angrily to the South Korean activists' balloons, which sometimes include information about the South's democratic society and even USB sticks with K-pop music videos, North Korean Vice Defence Minister Kim Kang Il released a statement on Sunday. He stated that North Korea planned to scatter "mounds of wastepaper and filth" over border areas and other parts of South Korea in what he described as a "tit-for-tat" response to leafleting by South Korean activists.
Balloon War Between the Two Koreas
Previous South Korean governments have attempted to halt activists from conducting such campaigns, arguing that they do not contribute to peace and endanger the safety of residents near the border. A ban on balloon launches introduced in 2021 was later ruled unconstitutional by a top court, which cited it violated freedom of expression.
The two Koreas' large militaries frequently face off across the Military Demarcation Line, with North Korea routinely threatening to destroy its neighbor.
North Korea Plans Rocket Launch, Likely to Deploy 2nd Military Spy Satellite
Putin's Power Grows as Russian Troops Advance in Ukraine; China, Iran, North Korea Show Support
North Korea Test-Fires Missiles Day After US-South Korea Fighter Jet Drill