The region encompassing Eastern Asia - Dispute over balloon waste between North and South Korea
North Korea is being cautioned by South Korea not to continue launching balloons containing garbage across the border. On Sunday, South Korea's military claimed that North Korea had released even more balloons full of debris since Saturday night and was also making attempts to disrupt the GPS navigation system for the fifth day in a row.
National Security Advisor Chang Ho Jin stated in Seoul, "These actions are irrational provocations that no normal country would engage in." During a gathering of the council's standing committee, it was decided to take actions that would be unbearable for North Korea. The specific actions have yet to be revealed.
While North Korea announced their intention to stop sending garbage-filled balloons to South Korea temporarily, Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang Il warned in a statement released by state media that the action would be continued if more anti-North Korean leaflets were sent from South Korea.
Roughly 720 balloons containing waste materials such as cigarette butts, paper, fabric scraps, plastic, and other hazardous items were discovered across South Korea. Officials warn people not to touch the objects as they could be potentially harmful.
A primarily authoritarian North Korea has claimed they are responding to actions by private organizations in South Korea, which have been sending balloons filled with leaflets and propaganda material over the border. These leaflets encourage the overthrow of the North Korean government. North Korea often responds angrily to any form of criticism against their leadership. North Korea had warned the previous Sunday about sending "piles of paper and trash" over the border. Between Tuesday and Thursday, about 260 balloons were sent over the military demarcation line.
Military teams were sent to collect the debris on Sunday. The balloons were not shot down as there was a possibility that they may contain toxic chemicals.
Security Advisor Chang: North Korea aimed at "spreading fear and chaos"
Besides the balloons filled with garbage, North Korea's missile tests and GPS signal disruptions pose a threat according to Security Advisor Chang. These provocations are intended to "spread fear and chaos within our society." According to South Korean reports, North Korea has been using signal jammers to disrupt the GPS signals in the border area.
Yonhap reported, citing a government official, that South Korea might resume propaganda broadcasts via loudspeakers at the border. The broadcasts in the direction of the North were stopped in 2018 as part of a temporary reconciliation. Both North Korea and South Korea have historically made such propaganda broadcasts, a psychological warfare tactic and a relic of the Cold War.
In 2021, a law was enacted in South Korea prohibiting the sending of flyers and other objects across the border. However, the Constitutional Court overturned the law last year, arguing that it unreasonably restricted freedom of speech.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been escalating for a while now. North Korea has increased its testing of nuclear-capable missiles and other weapons. South Korea and the United States have been strengthening their military cooperation, including joint exercises.
