North Korea launched approximately 350 balloons filled with paper waste towards South Korea on Thursday evening, confirmed by Seoul’s military. About 100 balloons landed in northern Gyeonggi province and Seoul, with analysis indicating no public safety risk from the attached bags.
Seoul’s joint chiefs of staff (JCS) stated readiness for immediate psychological warfare in response to North Korea’s actions, emphasizing that further responses hinge on Pyongyang’s behavior. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned the balloon barrage during a speech marking the Korean War’s anniversary, denouncing it as provocative and irrational. He also criticized a recent Pyongyang-Moscow agreement as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
President Yoon pledged that South Korea’s military remains vigilant against any North Korean provocations, promising resolute responses. This incident follows North Korea’s earlier release of over a thousand balloons carrying trash, purportedly in retaliation for activists’ anti-regime propaganda balloons.
In response, Seoul has suspended a military pact aimed at reducing tensions and resumed border loudspeaker broadcasts. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, warned of potential new countermeasures if these activities continue, suggesting a volatile escalation.
Experts caution that these border tensions could swiftly intensify, particularly if South Korea resumes loudspeaker broadcasts, potentially triggering further provocative actions from the North.
