North Korea says it will stop sending trash-filled balloons over its border into South Korea.
It claims that its campaign has been an effective countermeasure against propaganda sent by anti-regime activists in South Korea.
Seoul’s military said on Sunday that North Korea floated hundreds of balloons carrying bags of rubbish containing cigarette butts, cardboard, plastic.
Hours later, North Korea said it would halt the campaign after South Korea said it would retaliate – but South Korean activists have sent anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets via balloons, as well as cash, rice, and USB thumb drives full of K-dramas. This was what really infuriated North Korea to begin with, and which could lead to active conflict.
South Korea’s National Security Council met on Sunday and a presidential official said Seoul would not rule out responding to the balloons by resuming loudspeaker propaganda campaigns along the border with North Korea, says Al Jazeera.
South Korea’s parliament passed a law in 2020 criminalizing sending leaflets into the North, but the law – which did not deter the activists – was struck down last year as a violation of free speech.
