South Korea hits back after North's trash-filled balloon attack

The standoff between North Korea and South Korea has been ongoing for many years. In 1948, as a result of the Korean War, one nation was divided into two: democratic South Korea and authoritarian North Korea. Activists from South Korea are doing everything to help their neighbors in Kim Jong Un's country. The bravest among them even organize escapes for North Korean citizens, a hazardous endeavor as the family of the escapee faces death or lengthy imprisonment in labor camps.

Activists from South Korea use balloons to transport items that are banned in North Korea. Among the items sent via air are informational leaflets debunking Kim Jong Un's propaganda and portable drives containing music videos and K-pop songs. Interacting with such materials in North Korea is particularly dangerous. In January 2024, two 16-year-olds were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for listening to K-pop and watching K-dramas.

During the sentencing, the announcer said: "The rotten puppet regime's culture has spread even to teenagers. They are just 16 years old, but they ruined their own future."

North Korea decided to retaliate against what it considered the "littering of the country" by sending leaflets. In return, Kim Jong Un's state sent about 90 white balloons carrying bags filled with trash and feces to South Korea. The North Korean state news agency announced that this was not the end of their retaliation. North Korea vowed to send significantly more balloons in response to the packages delivered from South Korea.

Anyone who thought North Korea's actions would go unanswered was mistaken. Activists from South Korea have sent balloons to Kim Jong Un's country with packages containing portable drives loaded with K-pop, U.S. dollars, and leaflets criticizing the regime. A group of North Korean defectors called the Free North Korea Movement announced they sent 10 gigantic balloons, each carrying 200,000 leaflets.