North Korea continues to release balloons filled with waste into South Korea, despite warnings from Seoul about taking action. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea informed the media on June 1 that North Korea had once again released balloons filled with waste and advised people not to touch them if spotted, but to report them to the authorities. Additionally, the Seoul capital government warned residents about unidentified objects suspected to be propaganda leaflets from North Korea, urging people to limit outdoor activities.
Earlier in the week, North Korea released around 260 balloons filled with trash and feces into South Korea, prompting condemnation from South Korean officials. North Korea defended the balloons as a “sincere gift” in response to South Korean activists releasing balloons carrying cash, rice, or USBs with Korean dramas. The practice of sending leaflets to North Korea is illegal under a law passed by the South Korean National Assembly in 2020 criminalizing the sending of leaflets to North Korea. However, activists continued the practice last year after it was overturned by the Korean Constitutional Court for being an excessive restriction on freedom of speech. Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un’s younger sister, taunted South Korea and vowed to send even more balloons than South Korea had released.
