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North Korea launches trash balloons at South Korea
Authorities in South Korea have advised residents to stay indoors after North Korea dropped at least 260 balloons containing garbage into the country.
Seoul authorities have warned residents to avoid going outdoors and not to touch any "unidentified objects"
Photo Credit: REUTERS
Authorities in South Korea have advised residents to stay indoors after North Korea dropped at least 260 balloons containing garbage into the country.
The report by the BBC stated that the public was cautioned by South Korea’s military not to touch the balloons or the plastic bags attached to them because they contained “filthy waste and trash.”
These balloons, which are presently being examined were found in eight of the nine provinces in South Korea.
This incident follows previous threats of retaliation from North Korea against South Korean activists distributing flyers and other materials across the border.
On Sunday, May 26, North Korea’s vice-minister of defense, Kim Kang Il, said on state media that “mounds of wastepaper and filth” would soon be scattered over South Korea.
“Mounds of wastepaper and filth will soon be scattered over the border areas and the interior of the ROK and you will directly experience how much effort is required to remove them,” he said.
In response, provincial authorities near Seoul issued text alerts asking residents to avoid outdoor activities and report any unidentified objects.
Social media photos show the balloons carrying items like toilet paper, dark soil, and batteries. Some of the balloons reportedly contained faeces. The South Korean military condemned the act as a “clear violation of international law,” warning North Korea to cease this “inhumane and crass action.”
Despite South Korea’s ban on launching anti-Pyongyang leaflets, activists have continued to send balloons with cash, banned media, and snacks across the border.
Meanwhile, from the Korean War in the 1950s, balloons have been employed historically by both Koreas for propaganda.
