South Korea on Thursday accused North Korea of launching more trash balloons across the border.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said they found about 420 balloons between Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning, with about 20 discovered so far in the South Korean capital Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province.
A balloon is seen from the Unification Observation Post in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Officials said the balloons that landed were filled with trash such as paper and plastic bottles but contained no hazardous materials, and accused North Korea of launching more balloons by Thursday evening.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff urged people to report any falling balloons to the police or military and not to touch them. No major damage has been reported so far.
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As North Korean balloons began appearing over South Korean territory, Seoul city authorities issued a text warning on Wednesday evening, advising people to stay indoors and be on the lookout for objects falling from the sky.
The two Koreas have been engaged in a small, Cold War-style psychological battle since at least March, with North Korea launching thousands of balloons filled with waste paper, rags, cigarette butts and even fertilizer into the South.
A visitor stands near a map of North Korea, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Paju, South Korea. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
North Korea says the balloons are in retaliation against South Korean civilian activists who have been flying anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border.
In July, at least one North Korean balloon carrying debris fell on South Korea's presidential palace, raising concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean facilities. Officials said the balloon contained no dangerous material and no one was injured.
South Korea retaliated by blasting propaganda messages and K-pop songs at North Korea over loudspeakers on the front lines.
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The tit-for-tat battles have added to tensions already heightened by North Korea's growing nuclear ambitions and expanded joint military drills with South Korea and the United States.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
