North Korea launched another 600 balloons loaded with garbage, such as cigarette butts and plastic, to its southern neighbor, the South Korean military said this Sunday (06/02/2024).
The balloons reached South Korea’s northern provinces, including the capital Seoul and the neighboring area of Gyeonggie, which together are home to about half of South Korea’s total population, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
As of Sunday morning, “approximately 600 balloons were identified, with approximately 20 to 50 balloons passing through the air every hour,” he said in a statement.
North Korea began sending hundreds of balloons carrying garbage bags days ago, prompting Seoul to warn of retaliation. Since the start of the campaign last Tuesday, around 900 balloons have been detected.
The General Staff indicated that it was detected that they contained “waste such as cigarette butts, paper, pieces of cloth and plastic,” and that there were no dangerous substances.
“We urge the public to avoid contact with the waste balls and report them to the nearest military unit or police station,” the statement added.
rr (afp/ap)
