North Korea's 'low-class' move: Balloons filled with trash, poop sent to South Korea

North Korea has escalated its provocative actions against South Korea. The nation, as per local media reports on Wednesday (May 29), sent balloons filled with trash, toilet paper, and suspected humanand animal faeces into South Korea.

Seoul's military hasslammed the "low class" move, which follows a warning from Pyongyang that it would shower South Korean border areas with "mounds of wastepaper and filth" as punishment.

Photographs on the internet show white balloons full of, as per AFP, what appearsto be trash and excrement.

North Korean propaganda

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff has confirmed the presence of "unidentified objects believed to be North Korean propaganda leaflets"in the Gyeonggi-Gangwon border areaand stated that the military was taking necessary action.

They urged citizens to avoid outdoor activities, avoid contact with unknown objects, and report any findings to military bases or the police.

Condemning the North's actions as a violationof international laws and a serious threat to public safety, the South Korean military said that some balloons contained suspected trash.

"We sternly warn the North to immediately stop its inhumane and low-class actions," the statement added.

Gyeonggi province sent a text message alert to residents on Tuesday night, advising them to "refrain from outdoor activities and report (objects from North Korea) to military bases when identified."

Which South Korean action invited this retaliation?

This escalation follows frequent instances of South Korean activists launching balloons carrying anti-regime propaganda leaflets and money across the border into North Korea. These campaigns have long infuriated Pyongyang, which possibly fears that outside information could destabilise the tightly controlled society and threaten the Kim Jong Un regime.

In retaliation, North Korea recently threatened to take similar action. Kim Kang Il, a vice-minister of defence, on Sunday (May 26) said that "Tit-for-tat action will be taken against frequent scattering of leaflets and other rubbish by the ROK near border areas." Here, ROK refers to the Republic of Korea, the South's official name.

"Mounds of wastepaper and filth will soon be scattered over the border areas and the interior of the ROK and it will directly experience how much effort is required to remove them," Kimreiterated in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

"North Korea would scatter waste over South Korea's border areas in response to the propaganda leaflets."

"This is a stern message to South Korea that North Korea can retaliate with similar propaganda tactics and that the South should cease its activities immediately," Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute told AFP.

Even though the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, the two Koreas remain technically at war, separated by a heavily fortified border.

(With inputs from agencies)