South Korea has accused North Korea of launching trash balloons across the border, with around 420 balloons detected from Wednesday evening to early Thursday. The balloons contained paper waste, plastic bottles, and other trash, but no hazardous materials. There have been around 20 balloons discovered in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff advised people not to touch the fallen balloons and to report them to the police or military. No major damage was reported immediately.
Seoul’s city government issued text alerts warning people to stay indoors and be cautious of objects falling from the sky as North Korean balloons began appearing over South Korean territory. The two Koreas have engaged in psychological warfare since March, with the North sending thousands of balloons filled with wastepaper, cloth scraps, cigarette butts, and manure toward the South. North Korea claims the balloons are in retaliation against South Korean activists who fly anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border. In July, trash from one North Korean balloon fell on the South Korean presidential compound, raising concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean facilities.
South Korea has responded to North Korea’s trash balloon launches with loudspeakers along the border blasting propaganda messages and K-pop songs toward the North. These actions are adding to tensions already fueled by North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States. The tit-for-tat campaigns between the two Koreas are increasing tensions in the region.
The ongoing trash balloon incidents are part of a broader pattern of Cold War-style psychological warfare between North and South Korea. North Korea’s actions are seen as retaliatory measures against South Korean activists who send anti-North Korean leaflets across the border. Despite the balloons containing no dangerous materials, the incidents highlight the potential risks to key South Korean facilities and the need for caution in handling fallen balloons.
South Korea has detected a significant number of trash balloons launched by North Korea across the border, sparking concern and prompting warnings from authorities. The escalating tensions between the two Koreas are further exacerbated by North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and South Korea’s military exercises with the United States. The trash balloon incidents are just one aspect of the ongoing psychological warfare between the two countries, with both sides engaging in retaliatory actions that contribute to the mounting tensions in the region.
