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Tensions on the Korean Peninsula

South Korea records 260 trash-carrying balloons from North Korea — newspaper

The balloons were carrying bags with trash and waste, including plastic bottles, batteries, old shoes and manure

SEOUL, May 29. /TASS/. South Korea’s military has discovered about 260 balloons carrying waste and trash that were allegedly launched from North Korea, the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper said, citing South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

As of 4 p.m. local time (7:00 a.m. GMT) the South Korean side had discovered approximately 260 balloons. According to the newspaper, there are no balloons left floating in the air. Reports of discovering bags filled with trash began coming in late on May 29. "North Korea’s actions clearly violate international law and seriously threaten the safety of our citizens," the JSC said. "All responsibility arising from the North Korean balloons lies entirely with North Korea, and we sternly warn North Korea to immediately stop its inhumane and vulgar actions," the agency added.

The balloons were carrying bags with trash and waste, including plastic bottles, batteries, old shoes and manure. "Trash that apparently fell from the sky and looks like waste damaged a greenhouse," said a resident of the city of Yeongcheon far from the border with North Korea.

The South Korean military is collecting and analyzing the content of the bags, engaging specialists in radiation, chemical and biological protection,

The army advised local residents not to approach the items and report them to the authorities and police. The South Korean authorities explained that explosive devices with timers had been installed on cords, connecting the balloons and the bags.

On May 26, North Korean Deputy Defense Minister Kim Kang Il said that the DPRK would take retaliatory measures in response to South Korean activists spreading anti-government leaflets. "Mounds of wastepaper and filth will soon be scattered over the border areas and the interior of [South Korea] and it will directly experience how much effort is required to remove them," Kim said, according to KCNA.

Defectors turned activists have been sending balloons carrying propaganda materials to North Korea for years. On May 10, in addition to leaflets, they launched USB sticks containing K-Pop music videos.

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Situation on the Korean Peninsula

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