Seoul, South Korea – October 26, 2024: A North Korean balloon carrying rubbish has landed on the presidential compound in South Korea’s Yongsan district, the South Korean Presidential Security Service confirmed on Thursday. This marks the second such incident in recent months.
The security service said that no dangerous materials were found in the debris, but local newspapers Dong-A Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo reported that the balloon contained propaganda leaflets mocking South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife.
The incident follows inflammatory remarks made earlier this week by Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In a state media report, she accused the South of sending “political motivational rubbish” into North Korea and described the act as a “hideous military provocation.”
Kim warned that South Korea would soon “experience firsthand” the dangerous consequences of its actions.
Since May, North Korea has reportedly sent thousands of balloons across the border, laden with refuse and propaganda leaflets in retaliation for similar leaflet drops by South Korean activists targeting the North.
This recent balloon incident raises concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean government sites, particularly in the event of a more severe North Korean attack, as a similar episode occurred in July when another balloon dumped rubbish on the president’s office.
