Trash Balloons, and Relationships Between North Korea and South Korea, Is It Okay as It Is?

 

 Trash balloons from North Korea have been an issue in South Korea lately. On May 10, an anti-North Korean civilian group released 300,000 North Korean flyers in the name of freedom of expression. Then, on May 26, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced that the North would soon release "a large number of tissues and trash in South Korea" and that "they will experience firsthand what it takes to collect them." In this background, North Korea has been threatening citizens with a series of balloon releases, starting on May 28, 2024.

 

 The trash balloons consist of a 3 to 4-meter diameter balloon, a self-destruct device, and various contents, and are released by North Korea. Until the ninth release, the affected areas were all over the country, except for Busan Metropolitan City, eastern Gyeongsangnam-do Province, and Jeju Island, and fortunately, no human casualties occurred.

North Korea's balloon releases had been temporarily suspended after the second round of releases. North Korea cited that their actions were responses to flyers and stated that they would release balloons if they were found again. However, after a group of North Korean defectors flew 200,000 North Korean flyers into North Korea many of which were critical of the North Korean leader, the ballooning began again.

 

 As North Korea continues to release trash balloons, the Ministry of Unification collected some of the balloons and analyzed their contents. The balloons were found to contain discarded electrical wires, manure, garbage, old clothes, and other items. The balloons were found to have labels removed to reveal North Korean product information, tattered and frayed fabrics, and defaced idol products of the Kim family, which the Ministry of Unification says reveals the harsh reality of life inside North Korea.

 

 On July 18, following the eighth balloon provocation, more than 40 of the 200 balloons sent by the North were found to have landed in our region. In response to these provocations, the South resumed loudspeaker broadcasts to the North for the first time in six years after suspending the effectiveness of the September 19 Military Agreement. The South Korean military has been broadcasting K-Pop and North Korean defectors' stories over the loudspeakers since early in the morning. The loudspeaker broadcasts, which were initially partial, have been fully implemented in response to North Korea's continued provocations.

 

 North Korea's retaliatory trash ballooning, which has now reached its ninth day, continues despite loudspeaker broadcasts. North Korea has also not stopped its provocations despite the severe damage caused by the current heavy rains. In response, the South Korean military has criticized that and warned that it will increase the number of loudspeakers in North Korea if the North's trash balloon releases continue.

In the meantime, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff are urging the public not to contact downed balloons and to report them to the military or police immediately.

 

 

By Staff Reporter Shin Seohyun (2-4)