North Korea balloons, GPS interference raise safety risks for airlines

FILE PHOTO: A plastic bag carrying various objects including what appeared to be trash that crossed inter-Korean border with a balloon believed to have been sent by North Korea, is pictured in Seoul, in this picture provided and released by the Defense Ministry, June 2, 2024. The Defense Ministry/Handout via REUTERS/ File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's trash balloon campaign, missile launches and the emergence of GPS "spoofing" have increased risks in South Korean airspace, aviation experts say, complicating airline operations as tensions rise between the rival nations.

In late May, North Korea began floating thousands of balloons with bags of trash, including human excrement, suspended under them into South Korea, in what analysts say is a form of psychological warfare.