For the first time in two weeks, North Korea is sending garbage balloons across the border again.
North Korea has reportedly sent balloons filled with plastic bags allegedly containing trash across the heavily fortified border between the two countries, according to South Korea's military. The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul announced on Saturday via the official news agency Yonhap that the balloons were heading towards the border province of Gyeonggi. The public was advised not to touch the balloons and to report them to the police instead.
This is the first such incident in over two weeks. Since late May, North Korea has launched at least 3,600 such aerial devices filled with waste products and sometimes human excrement across the border.
In response, South Korea's military has been blasting propaganda daily towards North Korea using loudspeakers along the border since mid-July. North Korea's leadership considers such actions a serious provocation.
After a period of de-escalation, the conflict on the Korean Peninsula has recently escalated again. Since early 2022, North Korea has been actively testing nuclear-capable missiles and other weapons. Meanwhile, South Korea and the United States have expanded their military cooperation.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff urged the public to avoid approaching these balloons, as they were sent from North Korea. The plastic bags inside these balloons, as reported by South Korea's military, often contain trash from North Korea.
