North Korea has reportedly increased its deployment of garbage-laden balloons toward its southern counterpart following a similar instance a few days ago, as per the South Korean military. The balloons, carrying non-hazardous items such as used cigarette butts, fabric remnants, discarded paper and vinyl, are Pyongyang’s retaliation to anti-North propaganda leaflets sent by activists via the shared border, the capital said. Approximately 600 such from the North have been discovered around South Korea between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed on Sunday, with the military advising citizens not to handle the suspected objects but to inform the military or police. In the country’s capital, Seoul, the city authorities issued text alerts about unidentified objects from the North in their airspace, with the military subsequently taking action.
Amidst other provocative actions from the North, such as a failed spy satellite launch and a series of short-range missile tests to underline its capability to strike against the South, these balloons only fuel tensions further. The South Korean military has deployed quick-action chemical and explosive disposal groups to handle the debris from about 260 of these balloons found around the country from Tuesday night to Wednesday.
Confirming the spies of these balloons, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, noted that her nation’s actions were a fulfilment of their recent warning to South Korea, in response to the activists’ leafleting activities. Kim hinted towards the possible regular reliance on this approach in the future. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Unification Ministry stated on Friday that North’s constant provocative actions, including missile tests, would result in unspecified yet “unbearable” consequences if such actions persist.
The military in South Korea has confirmed that it will not attempt to intercept the balloons that have been deployed, due to fears related to potential damages or the presence of hazardous materials. An additional concern is that any action taken against these balloons close to the border might provoke retaliation from North Korea, especially in the current atmosphere of escalated tensions.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, represented by Lee Sung Joon, opted not to intervene, but rather to allow the balloons to land safely and then retrieve them. He communicated this during a Thursday briefing.
The successes of Kim Jong-un in exerting undiluted power over North Korea’s 26 million citizens, a majority of whom lack exposure to international news, can be severely tested by any attempts from the outside world to destabilise it. This was reported by AP.