Unusual war of ideas - North Korea releases balloons filled with trash towards the South; its counterpart answers with K-Pop music.
The conflict along the border between North and South Korea is intensifying. After South Korea began transmitting news and music via loudspeakers towards the North on Sunday, the North Korean government is now threatening similar actions against the South. In a statement released by the state news agency KCNA on Sunday evening, Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's influential sister, described this as a "precursor to a highly dangerous scenario." If South Korea continues to distribute leaflets and broadcasts through loudspeakers, the country will face retaliatory measures, said Kim.
North Korea launches balloons into the South
The South Korean military leadership reported that North Korea is already installing loudspeakers. South Korea had been broadcasting international news, information about democracy and capitalism, and popular K-Pop music towards the secluded North since Sunday. The transmissions are claimed to be audible more than 20 kilometers into North Korea, although some experts doubt this. Before that, there were again many balloons with trash from the North into the South. According to Kim, who is a high-ranking official of the ruling Workers' Party, there were 1,400 balloons alone on Saturday night.
North Korea has been using similar techniques since May. The balloons are likely to have also dropped yellow leaflets into the South over the demarcation line, which has divided the North and South since the end of the Korean War over 70 years ago. The government in Pyongyang portrayed the garbage distribution as retaliation for balloons sent by South Korean activists into the North. These balloons carried anti-Kim leaflets, dollar bills, and USB sticks with popular K-Pop videos and TV shows.
The use of loudspeakers is part of a psychological warfare strategy. South Korea had previously suspended this method, which it had employed in the past, after reaching an agreement with the North in 2018 to deescalate tensions in inter-Korean relations. However, the pact has been largely stalled, as North Korea has continued to develop its rocket program and named South Korea its "number one enemy." Due to the garbage balloons originating from the North, South Korea suspended the agreement last week and declared the resumption of all military activities along the demarcation line.
Read also:
- Despite the escalating tensions between North and South Korea, the world continues to show interest in K-Pop, with South Korea's music genre still topping global charts.
- In response to North Korea's release of trash-filled balloons, South Korea retaliated by broadcasting K-Pop music towards the North, further highlighting the global appeal of South Korean culture.
- Despite Kim Jong-un's threats, South Korea remains committed to promoting democracy and capitalism through its broadcasts, including popular K-Pop music, towards its northern neighbor.
