South Korea issues warning to Pyongyang after North Korean trash balloons forced the closure of Incheon International Airport
South Korea’s military has pledged a “stern” response if North Korea “crosses the line” with its campaign of sending trash-filled balloons onto its neighbor’s territory, local media reported on Monday. The two countries have been deploying balloons as part of their long-running confrontation.
The warning on Monday came after a barrage launched by Pyongyang between Sunday evening and early Monday morning led to flight suspensions at South Korea’s main international airport, according to NK News.
Balloons with trash presumably sent by North Korea, hang on electric wires as South Korean army soldiers stand guard in Muju, South Korea, on May 29, 2024. © Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters/AP
The spokesperson for Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Col. Lee Sung-jun, said at a press briefing that the military viewed such incidents as “having a higher level of risk,” the Yonhap news agency reported.
“If serious danger is caused to the safety of our citizens or if the North is assessed to have crossed the line, our military will take stern military measures,” Lee was quoted as saying.
The spokesperson declined to elaborate when asked what such a “line” would be. The military does not consider the balloons a serious threat to public safety “as long as there are no fatalities,” he added, according to NK News.
Some of the ballons sent by the North are equipped with timer devices that “could potentially cause fires,” Yonhap noted.
Soldiers check a balloon carrying trash presumably sent by North Korea in a street in Seoul, South Korea. © Global Look Press / South Korean Defense Ministry
North Korea began sending trash-filled balloons toward its neighbor in May. Pyongyang says it has resorted to such unconventional tactics in retaliation for balloons being sent to the North carrying propaganda leaflets. Seoul, in turn, responded by resuming full-scale daily propaganda broadcasts through its border loudspeakers in July.
Previous trash balloons turned out to contain assorted household garbage, including a piece of green plastic showing an address in Pyongyang, Yonhap news agency reported.
On Friday a trash-carrying balloon landed in the parking lot of the Seoul government complex , South Korean authorities have confirmed.
The inflatable was found near the main entrance of the compound. The incident triggered a substantial emergency response, with firefighters and police cordoning off the area.
The balloon was examined by the military for hazardous materials and safely removed from the site.
The inflatable is believed to have originated from the latest batch of trash balloons sent by Pyongyang into South Korea on Wednesday. The batch contained mostly paper and plastic waste, with no hazardous materials discovered.
Tensions between the two neighbors have been running high in recent months in light of Pyongyang’s missile tests and Seoul’s joint drills with the US on the peninsula.
Source X/RT/NK News/Yonhap