North Korean Balloons: Trashy Retaliation Across the Border

North Korean balloons carrying trash have landed near South Korea's presidential office, prompting concerns and minor disruptions. The trash-filled balloons, which contain no contaminants, are North Korea's response to anti-Pyongyang propaganda efforts by defectors and activists in South Korea. South Korea's military has revived loudspeaker broadcasts targeting the North.

North Korean balloons carrying trash have landed near South Korea's presidential office, the Presidential Security Service announced on Wednesday. The trash, found in the area around the government complex in Yongsan, posed no contamination risks, the security service confirmed.

It remains unclear whether President Yoon Suk Yeol was present in the complex at the time. Beginning in May, North Korea has periodically sent hundreds of such balloons over the fortified border, causing South Korea's military to resume loudspeaker broadcasts aimed at the North. Resident Ko Seok-noh from Paju, a border town, expressed discomfort over the recurring balloon incidents.

These balloons recently caused a temporary shutdown at Incheon, a major international airport. North Korea claims the balloons are in retaliation to propaganda campaigns by defectors and activists in the South, who send anti-Pyongyang materials across the border. South Korea's military noted that current westerly winds are pushing the balloons towards northern Gyeonggi province.

(With inputs from agencies.)