The events of the last few days have increased tensions between the Koreas. North Korea sent debris balls into the South Korean side on several days last week.
South Korea is suspending the military agreement signed with North Korea in 2018, the aim of which was to ease tensions between the Koreas, South Korean Yonhap reported on Monday.
North Korea has not commented on South Korea’s decision.
Last year, South Korea partially withdrew from the inter-Korean accord after North Korea launched a spy satellite into orbit.
On Monday, South Korea’s National Security Council said the country decided to pull out of the deal entirely after North Korea sent hundreds of balloons filled with waste to South Korea.
Between Saturday night and Sunday morning, more than 600 balls flew across the border, according to the announcement of the Defense Forces. The waste bags attached to the balls have contained, among other things, cigarette butts, rags, plastic waste and apparently also excrement.
On Sunday, North Korea unexpectedly announced that it would stop flying balloons carrying waste to South Korea, North Korean news agency KNCA reported. North Korea did not give a reason.
North Korea made the announcement after South Korea said it would take embarrassing measures against North Korea for sending garbage balls. According to South Korea, North Korean waste balloons clearly violate international law and seriously threaten the country’s security.
The news agency Reuters wrote on Sunday that South Korea could retaliate, for example, by playing propaganda from loudspeakers in the direction of North Korea.
North Korean defectors send leaflets to their former homeland
Sending flyers across the border has a long tradition on the Korean peninsula.
North Korea’s debris ball attack began days after South Korean activists flew anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets across the border.
However, it was not the first time that North Korea has sent garbage balls to South Korea. Already in 2016, North Korea flew balloons filled with cigarette butts and used toilet paper towards South Korea.
Sources: Reuters, AFP