After a three-week hiatus, North Korea has resumed sending balloons filled with trash to its southern neighbor. Such operations, usually carried out at night, are now taking place in broad daylight. In response to this latest provocation, Seoul has once again reactivated its propaganda loudspeakers on the border toward the north.
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The July monsoon had put a pause on the escalation of tensions on the Korean border, notes Celio Fiorettiour correspondent in Seoul. Despite the heavy rains that continue to fall on the region, hostilities have resumed. The South Korean armed forces have proceeded ” to large-scale broadcasts along borders, such as […] announced several times “, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote in a statement on Sunday.
Sound propaganda, a tactic that dates back to the 1950-53 Korean War, greatly infuriates Pyongyang because the North Koreaa reclusive country, seeks to deny its population any access to South Korean popular culture, such as K-pop or K-drama series. In 2022, a North Korean citizen was executed by Pyongyang for having in his possession cultural content from the South. North Korea has already threatened to target South Korean loudspeakers with its artillery. Seoul has also recently resumed live-fire exercises near its border with the North.
This practice of the South Korea comes after North Korea resumed sending balloons filled with trash. Pyongyang has already launched more than 2,000 balloons across the inter-Korean border since May 2024 in retaliation, according to Pyongyang, for sending balloons carrying propaganda by South Korean activists. More than 100 flights and some 10,000 passengers have already been affected by the balloons sent by the North Koreaa South Korean lawmaker reported on Wednesday, July 17.
Read alsoWhy are tensions rising in the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas?
Russian delegation visits North Korea
The latest North Korean trash balloon launches also took place as a Russian military delegation visited Pyongyang. Kim Jong-unRussian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko discussed the implementation of the strategic pact signed by the two countries last June. The agreement includes mutual military assistance in the event of foreign aggression.
Read alsoNorth Korea/Russia: Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin sign strategic partnership agreement
Seoul is therefore concerned not only about these discussions but also about the direction of the American presidential campaign. Donald Trumpthe Republican candidate, has indicated his desire to continue discussions with Kim Jong-un, with whom he ” To get along ” he assures.
From 2018 to 2019, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un negotiated extensively on denuclearization without any agreement being reached. For the moment, there is no indication that the North Korean leader wants to talk with the UNITED STATES.
Read alsoUS-Japan-South Korea drills: Pyongyang warns of ‘fatal consequences’