Pyongyang has flown tons of waste into South Korea in response to propaganda leaflets sent north by activists
North Korea has said it will stop sending so-called trash-balloons to the South, claiming on Sunday that the campaign had achieved its goals.
South Korea’s military said on the same day that North Korea had floated hundreds more balloons carrying bags containing trash ranging from cigarette butts to pieces of cardboard and plastic, and threatened to retaliate.
Hours later, North Korea’s deputy defense minister, Kim Kang Il, said his country would “temporarily halt dropping trash over the border.” Pyongyang earlier described its “sincere gifts” as retaliation for South Korean activists’ years-long practice of floating balloons across the border to drop anti-Pyongyang leaflets.
A few days earlier, North Korea sent over more than 150 balloons carrying trash, manure and used toilet paper.
“We made the ROK [Republic of Korea] clans get enough experience of how much unpleasant they feel and how much effort is needed” to clean up the rubbish, Kim said.
He claimed Pyongyang had scattered 15 tons of wastepaper with more than 3,500 balloons of various sorts between May 28 and June 2.
However, Kim warned that if South Korean activists send propaganda leaflets via balloons again, North Korea would resume airborne trash deliveries, carrying “hundreds of times” the amount of the South Korean leaflets.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the balloons were found in the capital Seoul, and various other parts of the country. Some were spotted in the southeast province of South Gyeongsang, more than 280 km (180 miles) from the North.
Seoul warned it would take strong countermeasures in response to the balloon campaign and the continued jamming of GPS signals by the North last week.
South Korea’s National Security Council (NSC) said on Sunday it would not rule out a resumption of anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker propaganda messages along the border.
For years, anti-North Korea groups have used balloons to send leaflets, food, medicine, small amounts of cash, and mini radios into North Korea.
On Monday, the NSC decided to suspend the 2018 inter-Korean reduction pact – which stated that the countries would “completely cease all hostile acts against each other” – until mutual trust is restored.
This measure will enable military training near the Military Demarcation Line, which has been restricted by the agreement, the NSC said.
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