June 9, 2024 — North Korea has escalated its psychological warfare tactics by launching a new wave of trash-filled balloons toward South Korea. This action follows a stern warning from Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who indicated that further responses would ensue if South Korea continued its “psychological warfare” activities.
Retaliation for Propaganda Broadcasts
The recent deployment of balloons is a direct retaliation against South Korea’s decision to resume broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda over loudspeakers in border areas. These broadcasts, which had been halted following a 2018 inter-Korean agreement aimed at reducing military tensions, were resumed after South Korea suspended the deal in response to rising tensions.
Kim Yo Jong labeled the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts as “a prelude to a very dangerous situation” and issued a dire warning through North Korean state media. She stated that if South Korea did not cease these broadcasts and prevent activists from sending anti-North Korean leaflets, the North would undertake unspecified “new counteractions.”
“I sternly warn Seoul to stop at once this dangerous act,” Kim said, adding that South Korea was creating a “new environment of crisis.”
South Korea’s Response
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) have firmly held North Korea accountable for the ongoing situation. A JCS spokesman urged the North to “immediately stop such mean acts like sending waste balloons.” However, the spokesman did not specify whether South Korea would continue with the loudspeaker broadcasts, only noting that the military would conduct its missions “with flexibility according to the strategic and operational situation.”
Escalating Military Concerns
The tit-for-tat exchanges have sparked concerns over potential military retaliation. South Korea’s suspension of the 2018 agreement has opened the door for the resumption of both propaganda broadcasts and potentially military exercises along the heavily fortified border. Previously, South Korea used loudspeaker broadcasts as a psychological warfare tool to inform North Korean soldiers and residents about the realities of North Korea and the developments in South Korea.
Balloon Warfare
In recent weeks, North Korea has sent more than a thousand trash-filled balloons across the border, claiming this as a response to South Korean activists’ long-standing practice of sending balloons with anti-North Korean leaflets. These balloons, which Seoul has condemned as “base and dangerous,” often contain garbage and other waste materials.
On Monday, South Korea’s military reported finding around 50 such balloons within its territory, with many others believed to have blown back into North Korea due to wind conditions.
Activist Actions
Last Thursday, South Korean activists launched their own balloons across the border, carrying hundreds of thousands of leaflets criticizing Kim Jong Un, as well as 5,000 USB sticks loaded with K-pop and K-dramas. This method of information dissemination aims to penetrate North Korea’s tight control over foreign media and provide its citizens with glimpses of the outside world.
Historical Context
North Korea has historically been isolated, with stringent controls over what information enters or exits the country. Foreign materials, including movies and books, are largely banned, and those caught with contraband face severe punishment. Earlier this year, footage emerged showing North Korean teenagers sentenced to hard labor for watching and distributing South Korean dramas.
While restrictions in North Korea had softened somewhat during improved relations with China and a brief thaw in inter-Korean relations in 2017 and 2018, the situation has since deteriorated, with diplomatic talks collapsing and strict controls reimposed.
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