North Korea Continues To Send Trash Balloons Into South Korea, Seoul Warns Of Military Response
The warning comes after North Korea sent another 120 trash-filled balloons over the border throughout Sunday and Monday.
SEOUL/PYONGYANG - After another batch of trash-filled balloons were sent over the North Korean border into South Korea, Seoul’s military warned that the country could take “decisive military action” if any of the balloons threaten the safety of South Korean citizens after some of the balloon’s thermal timers were presumed to have started fires after the balloons landed in South Korea.
The warning comes after North Korea sent another 120 trash-filled balloons over the border throughout Sunday and Monday.
On September 22nd, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, "Considering the current wind direction, there is a possibility that the Daenam trash balloon will move to Gyeonggi-do and the metropolitan area”.
“We ask citizens to be careful about falling cargo, and if you find a fallen balloon, do not contact it and report it to the nearest military base or police.”
The Gangseo Fire Station released a statement that said, “At around 9:04pm on Sunday, a fire broke out on the rooftop of a four-story commercial building in the Western district of Seoul”.
The fire was put out within 18 minutes after 15 fire trucks arrived to the scene, according to the fire department, which said that there were no injuries or deaths as a result of the fire.
The South Korean military and police obtained the balloon that was believed to have started the fire and brought it to be examined further.
Prior to September 22nd and 23rd, North Korea also sent balloons into South Korea on September 18th and September 14th.
Since the month of May, North Korea has sent over 5,000 balloons filled with trash into South Korea, which Pyongyang says is in response for balloons carrying anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets being sent into the country by activists in South Korea, many of whom are defectors from the North.