North Korea has reignited tensions with South Korea by sending hundreds of balloons laden with trash across the border, prompting warnings of countermeasures from Seoul.
This follows earlier condemnations from South Korea after a similar incident earlier this week.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported on Saturday that North Korea had resumed launching balloons carrying bags of waste, including potentially hazardous materials like used batteries.
This comes just a day after South Korea threatened countermeasures if the “irrational provocations” continued.
North Korea claims the trash-filled balloons are a response to balloons launched by South Korean activists.
These activist balloons often carry anti-Pyongyang messages critical of leader Kim Jong Un, and sometimes even humanitarian aid like rice or USB drives containing South Korean media.
South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik condemned the trash balloons as “unimaginably petty and low-grade behavior,” while defending the activist balloons as “humanitarian aid.”
This escalation follows a period of strained inter-Korean relations. In 2018, a summit between the leaders pledged to end all “hostile acts,” including leaflet distribution.
However, South Korean activists continued their launches, prompting North Korea to sever communication channels and destroy a key inter-Korean liaison office in 2020.
Adding fuel to the fire, a South Korean law criminalizing leaflet launches was deemed unconstitutional last year, further angering Pyongyang.
Kim Yo Jong, a powerful figure in North Korea, mocked South Korea’s complaints, arguing it was simply exercising its right to free speech.
The situation highlights the fragility of peace efforts on the Korean peninsula. With both sides engaged in what they perceive as justified actions, the potential for further escalation remains a cause for concern.
