North Korea Sends More Trash to South Korea

(USNewsBreak.com) – Tensions between North and South Korea have continued to fester, with the North posturing and sending veiled and not-so-veiled threats to its neighbor. South Korea has, at times, sent propaganda materials in balloons across the shared border. That prompted Kim Jong-un’s regime to launch balloons back in retaliation. However, Instead of containing propaganda, the inflatables contained trash. The isolated country reportedly sent balloons again.

On Wednesday, at least one balloon sent from the North fell on the presidential compound in South Korea. Officials remained hesitant to shoot it down as it headed that way because the balloon’s potential contents concerned them. They were unsure about whether those contents might cause damage. They turned out to be just trash. The inflatable carried manure, cigarette butts, batteries, and more. North Korea sent other balloons through civilian areas, including some that had timers set to detonate the balloons at specific time intervals.

North Korean balloons containing trash again entered South Korea, drifting into the presidential complex grounds in Seoul.https://t.co/4OjJq0fx7S https://t.co/76UNqQPKlk

— DW News (@dwnews) July 24, 2024

This was the tenth incident in which North Korea sent the inflatables across the border. In May, it sent several balloons full of garbage in retaliation for its neighbor sending propaganda materials via the same method. This subsequent wave of attacks has prompted the South to resume broadcasting its entertainment — programs and K-pop songs — over loudspeakers in the demilitarized zone (DMZ).

Officials have cautioned citizens not to touch any of the trash and have requested that they notify authorities if they notice something suspicious. Experts believe South Korea should shoot any balloons heading toward the presidential compound down because they could eventually contain hazardous materials that could put lives at risk. Even at border locations, where exposure risk is minimal, laser weapons are available to destroy them.

Korea Defense Study Forum think tank head Jung Chang Wook said, “North Korea has no technology to precisely drop balloons at certain targets.” Additionally, strong winds in Seoul would make precision attacks by balloons impossible.