Over the past 24 hours, North Korea has sent around 500 balloons filled with trash into South Korea’s airspace, disrupting flights and causing a fire on a residential building’s roof. This tactic is part of Pyongyang’s ongoing propaganda campaign against North Korean defectors and activists in the South. These balloons typically carry anti-Pyongyang leaflets, medicine, money, and USB sticks with K-pop videos and dramas. The balloons have affected traffic at South Korea’s Gimpo and Incheon airports.
In Gyeonggi province, a balloon caught fire on top of a residential building, which was extinguished by firefighters. South Korea’s military has warned that some balloons are equipped with timed poppers that could potentially cause fires. As of Thursday, 480 balloons had landed in South Korea, mostly carrying paper and plastic trash.
The South Korean military spokesperson, Lee Sung-jun, mentioned that the trash balloons have timers attached to them, causing the balloons to pop and release the trash after a certain period of time. On Wednesday, North Korean balloons landed near the presidential office in Seoul, emphasizing the proximity and tension between the two countries. The ongoing aerial provocations highlight the continued tensions and hostilities between North and South Korea.
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