North Korea has again launched balloons carrying refuse toward South Korea, a claim reported by TASS citing Seoul City Hall. Officials in Seoul described the payloads as improvised trash balloons launched across the border, and the incident continues a pattern that has persisted for more than a year. The episodes raise safety and environmental concerns, while drawing attention from government agencies and regional observers about border stability and cross-border messaging.
Seoul City Hall confirmed in a mass mailing that North Korea was once again sending balloons that appeared to be filled with garbage toward the South. The notice highlighted ongoing border incidents and noted that local authorities were monitoring the situation as part of a broader pattern of provocative activity along the shared frontier.
Over the past year a tense balloon exchange has taken shape between the two Koreas. An activist group named Fighters for a Free North Korea initiated a campaign that included balloons carrying USB drives loaded with K-pop music along with content that critics labeled anti-Kpop. In addition, government pamphlets and US dollars were reportedly sent north. In response, balloons released from the North carried street garbage, dirt and cattle feces into the South, creating a cycle that observers describe as provocative and disruptive, with each side signaling its stance through payload choices and timing.
Earlier, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea reportedly dispatched additional garbage balloons to South Korea on September 22, according to summaries from Seoul authorities and international observers. The actions appear to extend a pattern of border provocations that continue to attract domestic attention and concern from regional partners who watch stability on the peninsula closely.
On September 20 another balloon carrying refuse was reported to have landed on government property in Seoul, marking at least a second incident of its kind reaching South Korean administrative areas. Officials warned residents to remain vigilant as border activities remain unpredictable and continue to generate questions about security and response measures at the municipal and national levels.
A former South Korean president commented on the prospects and conditions for reunification with the DPRK, outlining caveats and expectations in public remarks that drew attention from analysts and regional observers. The discussion touched on how such exchanges influence dialogue opportunities, public perception, and the broader path toward reconciliation and stability on the Korean peninsula.