North Korean balloons carrying trash have landed near the South Korean presidential office in Yongsan, according to the Presidential Security Service. The security service confirmed that trash carried by these balloons was found in the area surrounding the government complex. While the service clarified that the objects contained no contaminants or risks, the incident highlights the ongoing tension between the two Koreas.
Since May, North Korea has been sending hundreds of balloons carrying various forms of trash across the heavily fortified border with the South. This has prompted the South Korean military to restart loudspeaker broadcasts directed towards the North. North Korea has justified these actions as retaliation against an ongoing propaganda campaign by North Korean defectors and activists in the South. These activists regularly send inflatable balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets, alongside food, medicine, money, and USB sticks loaded with K-pop videos and dramas.
Earlier on Wednesday, North Korea had sent another batch of trash-laden balloons, as confirmed by the South Korean military. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that due to westerly wind direction, the suspected trash balloons were moving towards the northern part of Gyeonggi province.
The incident adds another layer of complexity to the already strained relations between the two Koreas. Since 2022, the presidential office in South Korea has been located in Yongsan, a central district in Seoul. This relocation, initiated by President Yoon Suk Yeol, marked a departure from the decades-long practice of residing in the more secluded Blue House. The recent balloon incident underscores the ongoing challenges in achieving stability and reconciliation between the two countries.
