SEOUL, May 29. /TASS/. One of the trash balloons, launched from North Korea, landed on the rooftop of a building in the Jongno governmental district of Seoul, the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported.
On May 29, at about 13:00 local time, the police received a call from the building’s security, who said that a "strange object" was discovered on the rooftop of the building. The police initially arrived at the scene, and later, the case was handed over to the armed forces.
Several hours later, another balloon was discovered near the South Korean Foreign Ministry building; it was spotted by a police patrol. The newspaper notes that the waste balloons were discovered in different parts in downtown Seoul.
North Korean leader’s sister Kim Yo Jong pointed out that, according to the South Korean press, the balloons reached Seoul. She called this action a display of "DPRK people’s right for expression" of its position. Kim Yo Jong added that "there are certain restrictions that do not allow the North Korean government to immediately stop these actions," because they involve rights and freedoms.
She stated that South Korea should treat the sent trash as a "heartfelt gift for the liberal-democratic scum" and keep collecting it. The South Korean military have counted 260 balloons across the country.
On September 26, 2023, the South Korean Constitutional Court withdrew the ban on sending propaganda leaflets to North Korea, set by the law on development of inter-Korean relations. The judges ruled that this law "excessively restricts the freedom of speech and expression of position.".