Pyongyang [North Korea], June 3: In a statement published by KCNA, North Korean Deputy Defense Minister Kim Kang-il confirmed that Pyongyang released 3,500 balloons containing 15 tons of waste paper to South Korea last week.
Mr. Kim said that if South Korea continues to spread leaflets, North Korea will respond with balloons containing trash "100 times" the number of South Korean leaflets. Some activists in South Korea have repeatedly released balloons containing leaflets, sometimes cash, food or USB drives containing Korean dramas and music videos. North Korea last week called trash balloons a "sincere gift" in response to leafleting activities .
"We made Korea experience all the troubles and showed how hard it is to deal with scattered pieces of paper," Mr. Kim said.
The South Korean military announced that more than 700 balloons were released by North Korea into the country on June 2. The balloons contain feces, shredded paper and other waste.
Early on June 2, South Korean officials said they would respond to Pyongyang 's provocative actions . Experts predict that Seoul may broadcast propaganda loudspeakers along the border in retaliation, a measure that South Korea has stopped using since the two countries' summit in 2018.
According to the South Korean military, at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference in Singapore on June 2, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik told his US counterpart Lloyd Austin that Pyongyang's release of balloons violated the agreement. Korea-North Korea armistice, according to Reuters.
An emergency warning was issued in North Kyungsang and Gangwon provinces, along with some areas in the capital Seoul (South Korea), asking people to report to the police if they see balloons and not to touch them.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
