South Korea has accused North Korea of launching trash balloons across the border, with over 420 balloons detected from Wednesday evening to early Thursday morning. The balloons contained paper waste, plastic bottles, and other trash, but no hazardous materials. Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff advised people to report any fallen balloons to the police or military and not to touch them. North Korea has been retaliating against South Korean activists who fly anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border by launching these balloons.
Seoul’s city government issued text alerts advising people to stay indoors and be cautious of objects dropping from the sky as North Korean balloons began appearing over South Korean territory. This form of psychological warfare between the two Koreas has been ongoing since at least March, with North Korea flying balloons filled with wastepaper, cloth scraps, cigarette butts, and manure towards the South. South Korea has retaliated by blasting propaganda messages and K-pop songs back towards the North using loudspeakers on the front-line.
In July, trash carried by at least one North Korean balloon fell on the South Korean presidential compound, sparking concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean facilities. However, officials confirmed that the balloon did not contain dangerous materials and no one was harmed as a result. Tensions between North and South Korea have been escalating due to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and South Korea’s joint military exercises with the United States. The tit-for-tat campaigns of launching balloons and blasting propaganda are adding to these tensions.
The two Koreas have been engaged in a form of Cold War-style psychological warfare with the North launching balloons containing various types of trash as retaliation against South Korean activists flying anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets over the border. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff have detected a significant number of balloons landing in Seoul and Gyeonggi province, filled with paper waste and plastic bottles. North Korea’s actions have prompted warnings for people to report any fallen balloons and not to touch them.
South Korea has utilized loudspeakers on the front-line to blast propaganda messages and K-pop songs towards North Korea as a form of retaliation. The escalation of tensions has also been fueled by North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and South Korea’s military exercises with the United States. The ongoing back-and-forth between the two countries through the launching of balloons and propaganda messages is contributing to the already strained relationship between North and South Korea. The South Korean government has issued warnings to its citizens to stay indoors and be cautious of objects falling from the sky as a result of these activities.
