North Korea suspends sending trash-filled balloons to South Korea

North Korea committed on Sunday to "suspend" the launch towards South Korea of ​​balloons filled with waste, ranging from cigarette butts to tobacco. animal excrement, after having thrown some into it. several hundred over the past few days.

“We will temporarily suspend the dispersal of waste paper across the border”, indicated the official North Korean agency KCNA, ensuring that this “countermeasure” had been effective.

Since Tuesday, nearly 1,000 balloons have been launched by Pyongyang towards its neighbor, including 600 on Sunday, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, with Seoul denouncing an action “of low floor” and threatening reprisals.

On Sunday, around 10:00 a.m. local time, between 20 to 50 balloons per hour were recorded in the air by the South Korean army.

The balloons landed in the provinces of northern South Korea, including the capital Seoul and the adjacent Gyeonggi region, which together are home to almost half of the South's population.

South Korea considered that the North Korean initiative contravened the armistice agreement that ended hostilities between the two Koreas in 1953, even if “no dangerous substances were found” in the balloons.

Photo released by the South Korean Ministry of Defense, June 2, 2024, of unidentified objects, considered to be North Korean waste transported by balloons, discovered in a street in Seoul © South Korean Ministry of Defense – Handout

The South Korean General Staff asked the public to avoid “any contact” with this waste.

“Our military is conducting surveillance and reconnaissance operations at the balloon launch sites, following them by aerial reconnaissance and collecting fallen debris, giving priority to public safety,” he added.

– “Freedom of expression” –

Photo released by the South Korean Ministry of Defense on June 2, 2024, showing a cigarette butt considered to be North Korean waste from balloons © South Korean Ministry of Defense – Handout

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Before the announcement of the suspension of these shipments, the South Korean National Security Council had planned to meet on Sunday to decide on a response.

According to the South Korean agency Yonhap, this could result in a resumption of propaganda broadcasts via loudspeakers on the border with North Korea.

“If Seoul chooses to resume loudspeaker broadcasts against the North, which Pyangyang hates as much as anti-Kim balloons, it could lead to limited armed conflict in border areas,” said Cheong Seong-chang, director of strategy at the Sejong Institute.

The Seoul municipality sent an alert message to residents on Saturday after the detection of new balloons, about the presence of “an unidentified object presumed to be North Korean propaganda leaflets”.

Pyongyang said earlier this week that its balloons, “sincere gifts,” were intended to retaliate for the sending over its territory of balloons loaded with propaganda leaflets against leader Kim Jong Un.

North Korea has long been exasperated by such actions by South Korean activists, who sometimes also send money, rice or USB sticks of South Korean television dramas.

In 2018, during a period of détente between the two countries, the two leaders had agreed to “completely cease all hostile acts against each other in all areas.”

South Korea's parliament passed a law in 2020 to criminalize sending leaflets to the North. But the law, which was not respected by activists, was overturned last year as violating free speech.

Photo released by the South Korean Ministry of Defense, June 2, 2024, of soldiers inspecting objects considered to be North Korean waste transported by balloons in a Seoul street © South Korean Defense Ministry – Handout

Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jung-Un's sister, taunted South Korea over the balloons this week, saying the North Koreans were just practicing their freedom of speech.< /p>

The balloon campaign comes after analysts assured that Kim Jung-Un had ordered tests on weapons before sending them to Russia for his war in Ukraine.

According to the South Korean Defense Ministry, Pyongyang sent around 10,000 weapons containers to Moscow in exchange for Russian satellite expertise.< /p> All rights of reproduction and representation reserved. © (2024) Agence France-Presse