North Korea Escalates Balloon 'Trash Warfare' Against South Korea

North Korea has intensified its psychological warfare against South Korea by launching trash-filled balloons. South Korea detected around 420 balloons, some landing in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. North Korea's actions are seen as retaliation against South Korean activists. In response, South Korea has reactivated front-line loudspeakers for propaganda.

In a dramatic escalation of Cold War-style tactics, North Korea has ramped up its psychological warfare against South Korea by sending balloons filled with trash across the border. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported the detection of approximately 420 balloons since Wednesday evening, with 20 of them landing in Seoul and the nearby Gyeonggi province.

The balloons have been found to contain paper waste, plastic bottles, and other non-hazardous trash. The South Korean public has been advised to report any fallen balloons to the police or military and avoid contact with them.

This trash-carrying balloon phenomenon is North Korea's retaliation against South Korean activists who send anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border. The ongoing tit-for-tat tactics are further straining relations between the two countries, exacerbated by North Korea's nuclear ambitions and South Korea's military exercises with the United States.

(With inputs from agencies.)