South Korea kicks up a stink about faeces-filled balloons from North
- By Wednesday, military sources said more than 150 balloons had been detected carrying objects including trash and excrement
- Balloons have regularly been sent in the other direction by activists and defectors, carrying leaflets critical of Pyongyang and contraband
The military’s explosives ordnance unit and chemical and biological warfare response team were deployed to inspect and collect the objects, and an alert was issued warning residents to keep away and report any sightings to authorities.
By Wednesday, more than 150 balloons had been detected, with some landing on the ground while others were still in the air, local media reported, citing military sources.
Balloons have regularly been sent the other way by South Korean activists, often led by North Korean defectors.
Those balloons carry leaflets with messages critical of Pyongyang, stirring tension between the neighbours, including incidents when the North reportedly tried to shoot them down.
Photographs released by the South Korean military on Wednesday showed inflated balloons with plastic bags tethered to them. Other images appeared to show trash strewn around collapsed balloons, with the word “excrement” written on a bag in one photograph.
