North Korea has launched over 260 balloons laden with garbage into South Korea, leading to warnings for citizens to remain indoors. The South Korean military has urged people not to handle the white balloons or the attached plastic bags, which they reported to contain “unsanitary waste”. Discovered across eight out of nine provinces in South Korea, these balloons are currently under analysis.
Both nations have historically used balloons for their propaganda efforts, dating back to the 1950s during the Korean War. The South Korean military is investigating the possibility that these recent balloons also contain North Korean propaganda materials. This act of aerial littering follows a statement from North Korea threatening to retaliate against South Korean activists who frequently drop leaflets and trash in border areas. “The interior of the Republic of Korea (ROK) will soon be swamped with heaps of waste and dirt, revealing the difficulty of cleanup,” declared Kim Kang Il, North Korea’s vice minister of defense, in a state media announcement.
Late Tuesday, authorities in areas north of Seoul and near the border advised locals via text message to limit their time outdoors. They were encouraged to report any unusual objects to the nearest military or police station.
Social media images depict the balloons strung to bags filled with items like toilet paper, dark soil, and batteries. Some officers from the police and military were captured in the photos. Some of the debris includes objects that may be fecal matter, suggested by their dark shade and smell. The South Korean military has denounced this as a “blatant breach of international norms”, emphasizing the direct threat it poses to the safety and holding North Korea fully responsible for any consequences. “We strongly urge North Korea to cease these barbaric and shameful actions immediately,” said a military spokesperson.
South Korean activists have been known to launch balloons carrying various items toward North Korea, which include cash, forbidden media, and even the snack Choco Pies, banned in North Korea. Earlier this month, a group in South Korea claimed to have sent 20 balloons filled with anti-Pyongyang leaflets and USBs loaded with K-pop songs and videos over the border. Despite a December 2020 law passed by Seoul’s parliament criminalizing this activity, there are ongoing concerns regarding speech freedom and human rights.
North Korea has retaliated with similar campaigns, including an incident in 2016 when balloons carrying waste such as used toilet paper and cigarette filters, which the Seoul police categorized as “dangerous biochemical materials,” were sent into South Korean airspace.