N-Korea continues launching garbage balloons
Date
8/13/2024 7:41:49 AM
(MENAFN) On Saturday, North Korea reignited its campaign of launching trash-filled balloons toward South Korea, with reports indicating that approximately 240 of these balloons were dispatched, ten of which landed on South Korean soil. This latest development, confirmed by South Korean media and the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, marks a renewed phase in an unconventional form of protest by Pyongyang.
The North Korean strategy of sending trash-laden balloons began in late May and has since seen the release of around 3,600 such inflatables. Pyongyang's actions are reportedly in response to similar tactics employed by South Korean activists, who have sent balloons carrying anti-regime propaganda into the North. In retaliation, North Korea has escalated its balloon launches, while South Korea has ramped up its own measures, including the resumption of daily propaganda broadcasts through loudspeakers along the border starting in mid-July.
Yonhap News Agency reported that a few of the North Korean balloons reached Gyeonggi Province, which encircles Seoul. South Korean authorities confirmed receiving two reports over the weekend regarding the appearance of these trash-laden balloons. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff noted that the balloons contained scraps of paper and plastic bottles, with no hazardous materials detected in their contents.
The latest balloon launch, which occurred after a hiatus of over two weeks, represents the 11th instance of such activity by North Korea. Last month, several balloons even landed in the vicinity of the presidential office compound in Seoul, further intensifying the situation.
Earlier in June, North Korea's deputy defense minister, Kim Kang Il, announced a temporary halt to the trash balloon campaign, asserting that its objectives had been met. However, Kim warned that North Korea might resume the launches if South Korea undertakes further actions deemed hostile.
This ongoing exchange of unconventional tactics underscores the escalating tensions between the two Koreas and highlights the broader geopolitical friction in the region.
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