North Korea’s continued balloon-dropping campaign continued today with 500 trash-filled balloons landing in the greater Seoul area today, with some even dropping onto the Presidential Office compound, south Korea’s military stated earlier today.

The balloon-dropping campaign is a continuation of the past year of political and military escalations initially begun by the south, when they entered into the trilateral pact between the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the United States, also known as JAROKUS.

On Wednesday, the launch occurred only three days following north Korea’s release of approximately 500 similar balloons on Sunday. This activity marked an escalation in their balloon campaign initiated in late May, intended as a response to anti-DPRK leaflets dispatched from south Korea by defectors and activists.

As a response, south Korea briefly resumed propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts on June 9, the first time in six years, before subsequently halting them. This action was reportedly taken to prevent further escalation to avoid the situation “spiraling out of control.”

Last week, chairman Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, warned that continued provocations against the DPRK would result in “gruesome and dear” consequences.

Source: Yonhap News