North Korea launches more trash balloons towards South Korea: Seoul military

North Korea has resumed its psychological warfare campaign by launching balloons carrying waste materials towards the South amid escalating tensions between the two nations, according to the South Korean military. The joint chiefs of staff warned that the balloons could reach areas north of Seoul, prompting local authorities to issue alerts advising citizens to be cautious of falling objects and report any sightings to the authorities.
Although no injuries or damage have been reported so far, North Korea has already sent over 2,000 balloons carrying various types of trash as a retaliation against South Korean activists who have been flying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border.North Korea is known to be highly sensitive to external criticism of its leader, Kim Jong Un, and his authoritarian rule.
The balloon campaign has further strained the already tense relations between the two Koreas, with both sides threatening to take stronger measures and warning of serious consequences. South Korea has responded by activating loudspeakers along the border to broadcast propaganda messages and K-pop songs, which North Korea is said to despise due to their potential to demoralize its front-line troops and residents.
Experts believe that the animosity between the two nations could escalate further later this month when South Korea and the United States begin their annual joint military exercises, which have been strengthened to address North Korea's nuclear threats. Meanwhile, North Korea is grappling with the aftermath of devastating floods that have displaced thousands of people and submerged large areas of farmland near its border with China.
Despite the challenges posed by the floods, Kim Jong Un has refused aid offers from traditional allies such as Russia and China, as well as international aid organizations, insisting that North Korea is capable of handling the recovery on its own. He has also accused South Korea of engaging in a "vicious smear campaign" to tarnish his government's image, claiming that the South's media has been exaggerating the extent of the damage and casualties caused by the floods.