South Korea accused North Korea on Wednesday of launching numerous balloons across the heavily fortified border, carrying objects including trash and excrement, labeling the act as base and dangerous.
South Korea's military responded by deploying its explosives ordnance unit and chemical and biological warfare response team to inspect and collect the objects. An alert was issued, warning residents to avoid the balloons and report any sightings to authorities. By Wednesday afternoon, over 260 balloons had been detected, most of which had landed on the ground, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Photographs released by the South Korean military showed inflated balloons tied to plastic bags, with trash scattered around collapsed balloons. One photograph displayed the word "excrement" written on a bag. Yonhap news agency reported that some balloons contained animal faeces.
An official from Seoul's presidential office suggested that North Korea might be attempting to test South Korea's reaction, but assured that the government would respond calmly. "By putting rubbish and miscellaneous objects into balloons, they seem to want to test how our people would react and whether our government is indeed disrupted, and apart from direct provocations, how psychological warfare and small-scale complex threats would play out in our country," said the official.
Historically, South Korean activists, often led by North Korean defectors, have sent balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets, mini radios, food, and USB memory sticks with K-pop music videos and dramas into North Korea. This has angered North Korea, which usually responds negatively to these actions.
On Sunday, North Korea's vice defence minister condemned balloons sent by South Korean activists, calling them "dirty things" and a "dangerous provocation." The minister warned that North Korea would respond by sending "mounds of waste-paper and filth" to the South, reported Reuters.
In addition to the balloon incident, the Donga Ilbo newspaper reported that North Korea attempted to jam GPS signals in South Korea early Wednesday morning, though no damage was reported. Seoul's defence ministry had no immediate information to provide on this matter.
Previous South Korean governments have attempted to halt such campaigns, particularly after a 2014 incident when North Korea tried to shoot down balloons, leading to complaints from residents near the border. A 2021 ban on balloon launches was later ruled unconstitutional by a top court, citing violations of freedom of speech.
The large militaries of both Koreas face off across the border, with North Korea routinely threatening to annihilate its neighbor.