North Korea has resumed sending balloons filled with trash into South Korea, with 600 balloons identified as crossing the border since Saturday evening. The balloons contain items such as cigarette butts, plastic, used batteries, scraps of paper, and even feces. The South Korean military is monitoring the situation to ensure public safety, collecting fallen debris and alerting residents to not touch any unidentified objects presumed to be North Korean propaganda leaflets.
The Seoul municipality has condemned this action as low standard, and the South Korean Ministry of Unification has warned of countermeasures if Pyongyang continues with these provocations. North Korea claims that the balloons are in response to propaganda leaflets against leader Kim Jong Un and are acts of freedom of expression. However, South Korea views them as violations of the armistice agreement and is considering a coordinated response with the United States in case of further threats.
South Korea’s National Security Council is set to meet to discuss potential loudspeaker firing into North Korea as a response to the trash balloons. The two allies have reaffirmed their commitment to deal with any provocations from North Korea. The situation continues to escalate, with concerns about the impact of these actions on regional stability.
