 "North-South Korea, balloon wars")
When countries around the world are upping the ante with hi-tech drones and air defense systems, a ‘balloon war’ is raging on the Korean peninsula. Both North and South Korea are engaged in a psychological campaign, sending balloons carrying propaganda and trash across their heavily fortified border.
North Korea has reportedly launched hundreds of balloons filled with trash towards South Korea in its third such operation since late May on Sunday (June 9), according to the South Korean military. This comes shortly after South Korean activists sent their own balloons carrying propaganda leaflets to the North.
What is the balloon war between North and South Korea?
So far, North Korea has sent over 1,000 balloons loaded with trash and manure into South Korea in retaliation against the leafletting campaigns by South Korean civilians. These actions have heightened tensions between the two countries amidst a diplomatic deadlock over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported detecting around 330 balloons launched by the North since Saturday night, with about 80 balloons landing in South Korean territory by Sunday morning. It is believed that eastward winds caused many balloons to drift away from South Korea. The balloons that did land contained plastic and paper waste, but no hazardous substances were found.
In response to the North’s actions, South Korean activists launched balloons carrying anti-North Korean leaflets, USB sticks with K-pop songs and South Korean dramas, and one-dollar US bills into North Korea. This move was seen as a direct challenge to North Korea’s strict control over access to foreign news and information for its citizens.
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Military mobilises against balloon threat
The military has mobilised chemical rapid response and explosive clearance units to retrieve the balloons and materials. The public has been advised to avoid touching any found balloons and to report them to the authorities.
This latest balloon launch marks the third incident since May 28. In previous launches, about 1,000 balloons were discovered carrying vinyl bags filled with manure, cigarette butts, cloth scraps, waste batteries, and paper waste. Some of these items were found scattered across roads, residential areas, and schools, though no dangerous materials or significant damage were reported.
In response, South Korea has suspended a 2018 agreement aimed at easing tensions with North Korea. This suspension allows the South to resume live-fire military exercises and anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts in border areas, likely provoking further retaliatory actions from the North.
The origins of the balloon wars
The balloon wars began during the 1950-53 Korean War and continued during the Cold War era. Both North and South Korea used balloons to disseminate propaganda and psychological messages to the other side.
During the Cold War, North and South Korea engaged in a propaganda war, broadcasting anti-government messages and launching leaf-laden balloons into each other’s airspace. The leaflets often contained vilifying materials, which both sides banned their citizens from reading.
In the 1990s and 2000s, as North Korea’s propaganda lost relevance and South Korea’s economy grew, the South embraced democracy while North Korea relied on information control. Despite an agreement in the year 2000 to end government-sponsored propaganda, North Korean defectors and Christian activists in the South continued to send balloons with Bibles, transistor radios, medicines, and leaflets critical of the North Korean regime
Ramifications of the ‘balloon attack’
The balloon wars have significant ramifications for the region. They have escalated tensions between North and South Korea, leading to deterioration in relations and increased military posturing. The psychological campaign also has the potential to demoralise North Korean troops and residents, potentially weakening the leadership of Kim Jong Un, which the North will not take lightly.
On Sunday, South Korea resumed anti-North Korean propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts in border areas in response to the North sending over 1,000 balloons filled with trash and manure in recent weeks. This action is likely to provoke Pyongyang and could lead to retaliatory military measures, further escalating tensions between the two countries as negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions remain at a standstill.
International reaction to ‘balloon-gate’
The international community has condemned North Korea’s actions, with the US State Department labelling the trash-carrying balloons “disgusting” and “childish”. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol described the North’s actions as “despicable provocation that would make any normal country ashamed of itself”.
Meanwhile, South Korean officials have condemned the North Korean balloon launches and other provocations as “absurd” and “irrational”, promising strong retaliation.
North Korea is highly sensitive to South Korean leafletting campaigns and front-line propaganda broadcasts, as it restricts access to foreign news for its 26 million people. Kim Jong Un, the third-generation leader of North Korea, rules the country with strict control.
[With inputs from agencies]
