Tensions rise as defectors launch leaflets into North Korea

As reported by the Yonhap agency, a group of defectors from North Korea, known as Fighters for a Free North Korea (FFNK), released 10 balloons across the border, each carrying bags containing up to 200,000 leaflets critical of the regime in Pyongyang. This action could potentially escalate tensions between the two countries.

A group of South Korean activists confirmed that giant balloons with propaganda leaflets flew towards North Korea, according to the AP agency.

Earlier, Pyongyang had threatened to respond to such campaigns by sending an even more significant number of balloons filled with manure and trash across the border.

In addition to leaflets, the bags contained memory sticks with K-pop songs and South Korean productions, as well as one-dollar American bills.

We sent the truth and love, medicines, one-dollar bills and songs. But a barbaric Kim Jong-un sent us filth and garbage and he hasn’t made a word of apology over that, declared the head of the FFNK group, Park Sang Hak, referring to the recent provocations from the regime in Pyongyang.

The recent sending of balloons with trash and excrement by North Korea has increased tensions between the two countries. As a result, the South Korean government has fully suspended the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement to ease military tensions.

Initially, North Korea stopped sending more balloons but has threatened to resume the action if South Korean activists send leaflets again. North Korean Vice Minister of Defense Kim Kang Il threatened that in such a case, Pyongyang would send back "garbage amounting to 100 times."

The South Korean military confirmed that "some of the balloons" entered the airspace of their northern neighbor.