Pyongyang is flying more trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea, officials said, in the latest round of Cold War-style psychological warfare between the rivals.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected more balloons launched from North Korea yesterday morning following launches the previous evening.
Since May, North Korea has flown thousands of balloons toward South Korea to drop substances such as wastepaper, cloth scraps, cigarette butts and even manure, in what it described as retaliation against South Korean civilian activists who fly anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border.
The joint chiefs said North Korea launched around 420 balloons from Wednesday evening to early yesterday and about 20 of them had been discovered so far in Seoul, the South Korean capital, and nearby Gyeonggi province.
It said the balloons that landed were filled with paper waste, plastic bottles and other trash but contained no hazardous materials.
The joint chiefs said North Korea launched another set of balloons as of 9am local time yesterday.
It advised people to report to the police or military if they see any fallen balloons and not to touch them. — AP
