SEOUL: South Korea will ramp up propaganda broadcasts to the North in response to Pyongyang sending more trash-carrying balloons across the border, Seoul’s military said on Sunday.

The two Koreas have engaged in a tit-for-tat campaign, with the North sending nearly 2,000 trash-carrying balloons southwards since May, saying it is retaliation for propaganda balloons launched by South Korean activists.

In protest at a latest wave of North Korean balloons, the South Korean military said it was widening the scale of its frontline propaganda broadcasts.

“Effective from 1300 our military will conduct a full scale broadcasts along the borders as we have warned repeatedly,” said a statement.

“The North is launching another batch of rubbish-carrying balloons,” an earlier statement said, noting they were flying towards the northern part of Gyeonggi.

“Please report them to the military or police and refrain from direct contact with the objects.” The latest batch of balloons comes three days after Seoul announced it had resumed loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts directed at North Korea and warned that it would broaden their scope if the North persisted in sending the trash.

In declaring the start of the full-scale propaganda broadcasts, Seoul warned the North Korean army will “bear the brunt of decisive damage from its tension raising acts committed in the border area”.

“We gravely warn that all responsibility lies squarely with the North Korean regime.” The North’s balloons have disrupted more than 100 flights carrying 10,000 passengers, a South Korean lawmaker said earlier this month.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2024