Greece (Brussels Morning) – North Korea has agreed to temporarily stop sending trash-filled balloons to South Korea, which it had been doing as a retaliatory measure against South Korea’s practice of sending anti-North Korea leaflets via balloons. North Korea claimed to have sent 15 tonnes of trash to give South Koreans a taste of the inconvenience. This prompted South Korean authorities to issue public warnings and advise residents to stay indoors. The escalation reflects ongoing tensions and North Korea’s readiness for preemptive military action while highlighting its sensitivity to propaganda campaigns.
North Korea announced it will temporarily cease sending trash-filled balloons to South Korea, a retaliatory act against South Korea’s anti-North Korea leafleting via balloons. Kim Kang Il, North Korea’s vice-defense minister, stated that 15 tonnes of trash were sent to inconvenience South Koreans. Over 260 balloons carrying rubbish have prompted South Korea to warn residents to stay indoors. These actions follow South Korea’s long-standing practice of sending propaganda materials to the North. The situation escalates tensions, highlighting North Korea’s vulnerability to information campaigns and its readiness for preemptive military action.
North Korea Halts Trash Balloon Campaign Amid Escalating Tensions
North Korea announced it will temporarily stop sending trash-filled balloons to South Korea, following Seoul’s reports of increased airborne waste crossing the border. According to a statement by North Korea’s vice-defense minister, Kim Kang Il, published by state media KCNA, the country claimed to have sent a total of 15 tonnes of trash to South Korea as a retaliatory measure against South Korea’s longstanding practice of sending anti-North Korea leaflets via balloons. Kim asserted that this action was intended to give South Koreans a taste of the inconvenience and effort required to clean up scattered rubbish.
North Korea has dropped at least 260 balloons carrying rubbish in the South, prompting authorities to warn its residents to stay indoors. Seoul has issued a public warning, advising citizens to steer clear of additional balloons being sent from North Korea and to promptly report them to military or police authorities. According to South Korea’s military, North Korea has been dispatching balloons filled with “filth” across the heavily fortified border.
Earlier this week, North Korea sent hundreds of balloons carrying trash and excrement, labeling them as “gifts of sincerity” and promising more to come. South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik described these actions on Saturday as “unimaginably petty and low-grade behavior.”
Seoul Warns Residents Amid North Korea’s Trash Balloon Escalation
In a public safety announcement, the city of Seoul has urged residents to avoid interacting with balloons spotted in the sky over the city, advising that these are being managed by military personnel. Similar advisories have been issued by other regional governments at the request of the defense ministry.
This caution follows North Korea’s acknowledgment that the balloons are a response to ongoing activities by defectors and activists in South Korea. These groups have been sending balloons loaded with anti-Pyongyang leaflets, food, medicine, money, and USB drives containing K-pop music videos and dramas across the border as part of a propaganda campaign.
Since the Korean War in the 1950s, both North and South Korea have utilized balloons in their propaganda efforts. North Korea has escalated these actions by launching balloons targeting South Korean leaders, including a 2016 incident where balloons carried toilet paper, cigarette butts, and rubbish. Seoul police identified these as “hazardous biochemical substances.”
Recently, South Korea’s military has been investigating the contents of balloons from the North, suspecting the presence of propaganda leaflets. Social media posts have depicted these balloons carrying bags filled with various items such as toilet paper, dark soil, and batteries, all attached via string to white translucent balloons.
Propaganda War
This is not the first time the two countries have clashed recently. On May 20, South Korea’s Media Regulator announced it was banning access to a North Korean propaganda music video. South Korea’s National Security Act restricts access to the North’s government websites and media to prevent exposure to efforts by Kim’s autocratic regime to “praise, incite, or propagate” its activities.
Experts believe North Korea’s trash balloon campaign aims to create division in South Korea over its conservative government’s tough stance on Pyongyang. Anticipating more provocations aimed at influencing the US presidential election, Kim Jong Un seeks to revive diplomacy with former President Donald Trump. Recent actions include a failed spy satellite launch and missile tests.
The balloon launches, potentially carrying biological or chemical agents in the future, pressure Seoul to halt anti-North leafleting. However, South Korea’s ability to curb such activities is limited by a court ruling protecting free speech. Despite low immediate risk of military escalation, these events highlight North Korea’s vulnerability to information campaigns.
The leader of North Korea understands the need to keep the war machine of 1.3 million troops alert. For reasons of military morale and propaganda, military exercises with heavy artillery and simulations of nuclear attacks are often organized. Kim Jong Un oversaw drills involving the launch of nuclear-capable multiple rocket launchers, underscoring the country’s readiness to execute a preemptive strike against South Korea. These exercises, coming in the wake of a failed North Korean spy satellite launch, further heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The Korean Central News Agency reported that the drills were intended to affirm North Korea’s willingness to strike preemptively if threatened. Kim emphasized that these maneuvers illustrate the severe repercussions rivals would face if they provoke North Korea. Photographs from the event show Kim observing as at least 18 projectiles were launched, signaling a clear message of the North’s military capabilities and strategic intentions.
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