North Korea launched around 190 balloons filled with waste toward South Korea overnight on Saturday, with most landing in the capital region, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that approximately 100 of these balloons fell in Seoul and the neighboring Gyeonggi Province. The balloons carried items such as paper waste, plastic scraps, and bottles.
No hazardous materials were found.
This balloon campaign marks the resumption of North Korea’s waste-launching efforts after a brief pause of almost a month. Pyongyang began sending balloons filled with garbage to the South in late May.
The action is believed to be a response to anti-regime leaflets that have been distributed by South Korean activists.
The exchange of propaganda is part of the ongoing tensions between the two Koreas. Earlier in July, South Korean military forces restarted loudspeaker broadcasts near the inter-Korean border.
Might be a countermeasure
These broadcasts aim to expose the oppressive regime in North Korea and serve as a countermeasure to Pyongyang's balloon campaign.
Although the waste carried by the balloons has so far been deemed harmless, the action underscores the strained relations between the two nations.
The North’s ongoing efforts to send waste-filled balloons are seen as a direct reaction to South Korean efforts to undermine its regime through the distribution of anti-government materials.
The balloon launches represent yet another escalation in the long-standing tension between the two countries.
