A North Korean balloon carrying trash fell on the South Korean presidential compound in Seoul on Thursday, marking the second such incident in recent months.
The debris raised concerns about the vulnerability of critical South Korean sites amid ongoing tensions with the North.
The South Korean presidential security service reported that one of the balloons, floated from North Korea, burst over the compound, scattering rubbish. Fortunately, no hazardous materials were found.
It remains unclear whether South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was present during the incident, though he was scheduled to meet Polish President Andrzej Duda later in the day.
This balloon incident is part of a Cold War-style psychological campaign resumed by North Korea in late May, where trash-filled balloons are sent over the border. A similar occurrence in July resulted in no injuries or dangerous substances.
North Korea claims these actions are in retaliation to South Korean drones allegedly dropping propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang earlier this month.
According to reports, the latest balloon also carried leaflets criticising President Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee. The leaflets were scattered around the Yongsan district, where the presidential office is located.
There are also concerns that North Korea has begun using GPS technology to improve the accuracy of their balloon drops.
Experts, however, doubt North Korea’s technological sophistication in guiding balloons. “It’s more about launching in numbers and relying on wind patterns than precision technology,” said Lee Choon Geun, a researcher at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute.
The timing of these drops coincides with seasonal winds that blow southward.
In response to North Korea’s balloon activity, South Korea restarted its propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts at the border. This escalating war of words comes amid North Korea’s intensified missile testing and growing military cooperation with Russia.
Trash balloons escalate tensions and disrupt life
Since May, North Korea has launched thousands of balloons carrying bags of trash into South Korea, intensifying tensions between the two neighbours. These balloons have caused disruptions at Seoul’s Incheon airport, sparked a fire on a residential building’s roof, and even landed on the South Korean presidential palace grounds.
They have affected daily life across the country, hitting cars, farms, neighbourhoods, restaurants, and schools. According to the Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), at least 1,300 balloons have reached all but two provinces in South Korea.
“Gifts of Sincerity” to South Korea
North Korean balloons sent into South Korea have contained various forms of trash, including cigarette butts, plastic bottles, worn clothing, and even soil potentially contaminated with parasites. Some items featured Hello Kitty characters, while others included slashed clothing originally provided by the South.
Despite deploying military explosives units and biological warfare teams, South Korean authorities have not found any hazardous substances so far. Kim Yo Jong, a prominent North Korean official and sister of leader Kim Jong Un, has referred to these balloon deliveries as “gifts of sincerity” for South Koreans.
