SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - Since Sunday, North Korea has sent approximately 120 waste balloons towards the South, with around 40 landing in the Seoul metropolitan area, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Monday.
The JCS confirmed that roughly 40 of these balloons were identified in Seoul and its surrounding areas. "The contents of the balloons included household waste such as paper, plastic, and vinyl, with no harmful substances detected," the South Korean military headquarters stated.
In response to propaganda balloons sent by South Korean human rights activists, Pyongyang began launching its own waste balloons—filled with items like wastepaper, feces, and other garbage—starting in May. To date, North Korea has sent hundreds of such balloons over the course of 20 separate waves.
On Sept. 9, a fire broke out on the roof of a warehouse in Paju, northwest of Seoul, which was suspected to have been caused by a timed detonator attached to one of these balloons.
According to Gyeonggi-Do Fire Services, the blaze erupted at approximately 1:59 p.m. (0459 GMT) on the roof of a single-story warehouse owned by a pharmaceutical company. The fire, which destroyed the entire roof, was extinguished by 58 firefighters and 23 fire engines after three hours.
Authorities at the scene discovered a detonator and remnants of a waste balloon, linking the fire to the North Korean balloons launched earlier that day.
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