North Korea launches waste-filled balloons to taunt the South

Seoul: North Korea floated about 260 balloons laden with trash and other waste over the border toward South Korea, Seoul s military said on Wednesday,...

Seoul: North Korea floated about 260 balloons laden with trash and other waste over the border toward South Korea, Seoul’s military said on Wednesday, as a direct reaction against anti-Pyongyang leaflets coming from the South.

The balloons began landing on Tuesday night. The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff sent out notifications to residents warning them not to make contact with the balloons and report them to the police or military.

Some of the balloons reached as far as the southeastern part of the country, according to the JCS.

"These North Korean acts are clear violations of international law and seriously threaten the safety of our citizens,” the JCS said in a statement.

The JCS reported that the balloons were carrying trash, including plastic bottles and batteries, as well as what it called "filth.” South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that a balloon that landed on a restaurant building in Dongducheon was carrying a bag of manure.