Seoul, Sep 7 (IANS) North Korea has resumed its balloon campaign.
Military officials said on Saturday that about 190 balloons filled with scrap paper and waste material were flown south. Many of these were found in Seoul and surrounding areas.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea launched the balloons from Friday night to Saturday morning and so far about 100 have landed in the capital and surrounding Gyeonggi province, Yonhap news agency reported.
No dangerous material was found in the balloons, containing only scrap paper, plastic pieces and bottles. North Korea resumed its latest balloon campaign on Wednesday, which continued for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday.
Since late May, North Korea has released thousands of balloons carrying garbage in retaliation for anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent across the border by South Korean activists.
Initially, manure was sent southwards in these balloons. Later, scrap paper, plastic and then plastic bottles started being used in place of manure.
There was a gap of almost a month between the start of the new campaign which began on 10 August.
In response to such operations, the South Korean military has been broadcasting daily anti-North Korea propaganda via loudspeakers along the border since July 21.
North Korea has taken a tough stance against anti-Pyongyang leaflets and loudspeaker campaigns over fears that the influx of outside information could pose a threat to the Kim Jong-un regime.
—IANS
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