Tensions Rise as North Korea Resumes Balloon Campaign Against South Korea

North Korea has resumed launching balloons filled with waste toward South Korea, days after condemning South Korean civilian leafleting efforts. The incident has raised tensions, prompting South Korea to increase its military readiness amid threats of further retaliatory actions from North Korea.

North Korea has resumed flying balloons, likely carrying trash, toward South Korea as part of escalating tensions between the two nations. This comes after North Korea condemned repeated South Korean civilian leafleting campaigns aimed at the North.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea confirmed that several balloons were seen flying north of Seoul, urging the public to remain vigilant and report any sightings. The resumed balloon activity follows numerous similar actions in late May where North Korea sent wastepaper, scraps of cloth, cigarette butts, and even manure in response to leaflets from South Korean activists. The renewed tensions led South Korea to suspend a 2018 détente agreement, briefly restarting propaganda broadcasts and front-line military drills.

Earlier this week, Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued a stern warning against new South Korean leafleting activities. She threatened severe retaliatory measures, raising concerns over potential physical provocations. In response, South Korea's military has heightened its readiness, bracing for what could be direct confrontations at the border.

(With inputs from agencies.)