South Korea's armed forces said North Korea has again launched balloons possibly carrying garbage to South Korea , thus continuing an unusual campaign of psychological warfare amid rising tensions between the war-torn rivals, the Associated Press reported.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said today that wind could blow the balloons to areas north of the South Korean capital, Seoul. Seoul City Hall and authorities in the most populous Gyeonggi province have issued warnings urging citizens to beware of falling objects and to notify the military or police if they spot balloons.
At the moment there is no information about injuries or material damage, notes AP, quoted by BTA.
In recent weeks, North Korea has released more than 2,000 balloons containing waste paper, scraps of cloth and cigarette butts toward the South, in what it said was retaliation against South Korean civil activists who have been dropping propaganda leaflets aimed at Pyongyang across the border.
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The North has long condemned such activities, as it is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's authoritarian rule, AP commented.
North Korea last launched balloons toward the South on July 24, when debris carried by at least one of them fell on the grounds of the South Korean presidential compound, raising concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean facilities. The balloon did not contain dangerous materials and no one was injured, South Korea's presidential security service said at the time.
In response to the North's balloon campaign, South Korea activated loudspeakers along its border to broadcast propaganda messages and K-pop songs. Experts say North Korea hates such broadcasts because it fears they could demoralize its soldiers and residents.
Cold War-style campaigns by the two Koreas have stoked tensions, with both sides threatening more decisive action and warning of dire consequences, AP notes. Experts say tensions could rise further later this month when South Korea and the US begin their annual joint military exercises.