Provocations at the border - A North Korean balloon lands at the President's residence in Seoul
A presumably balloon filled with trash from North Korea landed on the grounds of the President's Office in Seoul, according to South Korean reports. The General Staff in Seoul announced through the official news agency Yonhap that there would be no chemical, biological, or radiological danger from the balloon. Previously, North Korea had sent numerous balloons in the direction of the Gyeonggi Province north of Seoul. The population was urged not to touch suspicious balloons and to report them to the police or military.
According to South Korean reports, North Korea has sent over 3,000 balloons filled with waste products and sometimes with trash to South Korea since late May. There were even 500 of them on Sunday.
For months, the two Korean states have been using psychological warfare methods against each other. The South Korean government resumed propaganda broadcasts over loudspeakers at the border last Thursday. The military broadcasts both political messages and South Korean pop music through the loudspeakers facing North Korea. The North Korean leadership considers such actions a serious provocation.
After a phase of de-escalation, the conflict on the Korean Peninsula has gained significant intensity in the recent past. Since early 2022, North Korea has been testing nuclear-capable missiles and other weapons at an increased rate. South Korea and the USA have been strengthening their military cooperation in response.
The trashed balloon from North Korea, a source of conflicts, sparked concern among South Koreans as it landed in Seoul. The term 'Müll,' which means waste or garbage in German, was used to describe the contents of the balloons sent by North Korea. The provocative act of sending balloons filled with waste products and potential threats has been strongly condemned by the South Korean government. The military in South Korea has been instructed to be vigilant and respond accordingly to any suspicious balloons coming from North Korea.
