North Korea released around 600 balloons filled with trash, including cigarette butts and plastic, into South Korea yesterday, according to the South Korean military. The balloons were detected between 8 pm and 10 pm local time, and have been found in northern provinces, including Seoul and Gyeonggi.
The South Korean military said it is monitoring and collecting the balloons and emergency alerts were issued in affected areas.
South Korea's military has condemned the move as "low-class" and warned of strong countermeasures unless North Korea ceases its "irrational" provocations.
"Our military is conducting surveillance and reconnaissance from the launch points of the balloons, tracking them through aerial reconnaissance, and collecting the fallen debris, prioritising public safety," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
"We urge the public to avoid contact with the fallen waste balloons and report them to the nearest military unit or police station," it added.
North Korea claims the balloons are a retaliation against South Korean activists who have been sending anti-North Korean leaflets, as well as USB thumb drives with drama series, money, and rice, across the border.
In 2020, the South Korean parliament passed a law criminalising the sending leaflets to the North. This law was struck down by South Korea's Constitutional Court last year calling it an impediment to free speech.
Kim Yo Jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister and a prominent spokesperson for the North Korean government, mocked South Korea's complaints about the balloons, claiming that North Koreans were merely exercising their freedom of expression.
(With inputs from agencies)
