South Korea’s military warned North Korea against testing its patience following the latest trash balloon incident.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) issued a stern warning to North Korea on November 18, condemning its repeated provocations involving the release of trash-filled balloons into the South.
In a statement delivered by the JCS public affairs director, the military said, “North Korea’s actions have crossed the line. We solemnly warn that North Korea bears full responsibility for any consequences arising from these provocations.”
The JCS criticized North Korea for launching over 7,000 balloons filled with waste and trash early in the morning, despite repeated warnings from the South. The statement emphasized that these actions have caused public fear, as well as physical and material damage. Some of the balloons even fell near venues hosting state-level events, an act the military described as an “unacceptable provocation.”
Earlier the same day, the JCS confirmed that approximately 40 balloons had been released by North Korea, marking the 31st incident of its kind this year. The last such provocation occurred on October 24, roughly three weeks ago. Since late May, North Korea has launched similar balloon attacks over the border 31 times.
The provocation came just a day after Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a statement accusing South Korea of distributing propaganda leaflets and materials into North Korea. She warned, “The trash will pay the price.”
According to the South Korean military, around 20 of the balloons were found in the Seoul metropolitan and Gyeonggi areas. While the payloads included propaganda leaflets, the military confirmed that no hazardous materials were detected.
BY MUNGYU CHO, YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
