Potentially offensive North Korean balloons believed to contain refuse spotted in South Korea amid escalating tensions.
North Korea's suspected balloon was spotted flying over northern Gyeonggi Province, adjacent to Seoul, around 9 p.m. local time (8 p.m. ET). Seoul's Metropolitan administration subsequently sent out an emergency alert, informing the city that a North Korean balloon had entered the sky above Seoul. Citizens were cautioned to avoid retrieving fallen balloons and were instructed to report any sightings to the authorities.
Since May, North Korea has launched approximately 1,000 balloons towards the South, claiming it as retaliation for South Korean activists who launched balloons carrying materials criticizing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
On Thursday, a South Korean advocacy group released 20 large balloons filled with thousands of anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets and USB sticks featuring South Korean entertainment contents towards North Korea. The following day, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korea's leader, gave a warning of potential repercussions.
"When you do something you're clearly warned not to, you can't expect things to remain the same," she declared.
South Korea's analysis of North Korean balloons launched from late May to early June discovered parasites in the balloons' soil, allegedly originating from human waste. "Human genes" were also identified in the soil, according to the ministry.
The investigation uncovered roundworms, whipworms, and larva currans in addition to other waste, such as cloth and wastepaper, the ministry said, ensuring no risk of contamination or infectious disease from the analyzed soil.
The balloons also contained damaged clothing from a South Korean brand, signifying "hostility towards South Korean goods," as well as clothing imitating Disney characters, the ministry stated.
The latest balloon assault occurs amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with inter-Korean diplomacy currently at a standstill. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin finalized a defense agreement with North Korea as discussions on its denuclearization efforts have slowed down, and Kim has vowed to enlarge his country's nuclear arsenal and threaten its use against the South.
Over the weekend, a US Navy aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea in preparation for trilateral exercises with South Korea and Japan in the waters surrounding the peninsula. This is the latest in a series of US military actions aimed at demonstrating Washington's "unwavering" commitment to its treaty ally in South Korea.
On Monday, US and South Korean officials signed a new memorandum of understanding regarding diplomatic intelligence sharing and analysis.
Japanese, South Korean, and US officials held a trilateral call where they issued a joint statement expressing concern over the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, including continued arms transfers from North Korea to Russia that have prolonged the suffering of the Ukrainian people, violated multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, and posed a threat to stability in both Northeast Asia and Europe.
"The United States, ROK, and Japan strongly condemn the intensifying military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including continued arms transfers from the DPRK to Russia that have exacerbated the suffering of the Ukrainian people, breached multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, and endangered stability in both Northeast Asia and Europe," the statement read.
CNN's Mike Valerio contributed reporting.
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North Korea's balloon provocations are not just limited to South Korea, as similar balloons containing propaganda materials have been found drifting across the Asia-Pacific region.
Despite the escalating tensions and hostile actions from North Korea, the world continues to closely monitor the situation on the Korean Peninsula, with key international players expressing concerns about escalating militarization and potential violations of international laws.
