North Korea has launched a series of trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea in response to activists flying anti-North Korean leaflets across the border. South Korea's military reported the balloon launches, urging caution among the public.
The Defense Ministry in South Korea did not provide details on the number of balloons detected or how many landed in the country. They advised people to avoid touching any objects suspected to be from North Korea and to report them to military or police authorities.
In Seoul, the city government issued text alerts warning of unidentified objects suspected to be flown from North Korea in the vicinity. The military responded to these alerts promptly.
North Korea's recent provocative actions include failed satellite launches and test-firings of short-range missiles. South Korea's military deployed teams to recover debris from around 260 North Korean balloons found in various parts of the country.
The balloons were found to contain trash and manure but no hazardous materials. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, confirmed the balloon launches as a response to South Korean leafleting campaigns.
She suggested that balloon launches could become a standard North Korean response to such activities, promising to escalate the volume of trash scattered in South Korea. North Korea is highly sensitive to any attempts to undermine Kim Jong Un's control over the population.
In the past, North Korea has reacted strongly to South Korean leafleting campaigns, even destroying a liaison office in 2020. The country has previously fired at propaganda balloons from South Korea, leading to tensions between the two nations.
In a controversial claim, North Korea suggested that balloons from South Korea caused a COVID-19 outbreak in the country, blaming the South for strained inter-Korean relations.
