- author, Kelly ng
- Role, BBC News
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North Korea has dropped at least 150 balloons carrying propaganda leaflets and garbage in the South, prompting authorities to warn its residents to stay home.
The South Korean military also warned the public on Wednesday not to touch the white balloons and the plastic bags attached to them because they contain “dirty waste and rubbish.”
The balloons were found in eight of nine provinces in South Korea and are now being analyzed by relevant authorities.
Both North and South Korea have used balloons in their propaganda campaigns since the Korean War in the 1950s.
The latest incident comes days after North Korea announced it would respond to the “repeated scattering of leaflets and other garbage” in border areas by activists in the South.
North Korean Deputy Defense Minister Kim Kang Il said in a statement: “Piles of waste and filth will soon spread across the border and interior areas of the Republic of Korea, and you will witness first-hand the magnitude of the effort required to remove them.” to state media on Sunday.
The Republic of Korea or the Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea while the North is called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Late Tuesday, residents living north of the southern capital Seoul and in the border area received text messages from their regional authorities asking them to “refrain from outside activities.”
They were also asked to report to the nearest military base or police station if they discovered an “unidentified object.”
Image source, South Korean army
Photos shared on social media show bags tied with translucent white balloons holding toilet paper, dark soil and batteries, among other contents.
Police and army officers appear in some of these photos.
“Some of the falling balloons carried what appeared to be feces due to its dark color and smell,” South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported.
The South Korean military condemned this act, calling it a “clear violation of international law.”
“It seriously threatens the safety of our people,” the military said. “North Korea is fully responsible for what is happening because of the balloons, and we strongly warn North Korea to stop this inhumane and cruel act immediately.”
In addition to anti-Pyongyang propaganda, South Korean activists have released balloons carrying, among other things, cash, banned media content, and even choco tarts — a South Korean snack banned in the North.
Earlier this month, a South Korea-based activist group claimed to have sent 20 balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets and USB sticks containing K-pop music and music videos across the border.
Seoul’s parliament passed a law in December 2020 criminalizing the publication of anti-Pyongyang publications, but critics raised concerns regarding freedom of expression and human rights.
North Korea also launched balloons towards the south that attacked Seoul’s leaders. In one such launch in 2016, the balloons reportedly carried toilet paper, cigarette butts and trash. Seoul police described them as “dangerous biochemicals.”
With additional reporting from Jake Kwon in Seoul
