North Korea leaflet protest sparks threats of mass retaliation
As reported by the Yonhap agency, a group of defectors from North Korea, known as Fighters for a Free North Korea (FFNK), released 10 balloons across the border, each carrying bags containing up to 200,000 leaflets aimed against the regime in Pyongyang. This action could lead to an even more significant escalation of tensions between the countries.
According to the AP agency, a group of South Korean activists confirmed that giant balloons with propaganda leaflets flew towards North Korea.
Earlier, Pyongyang had threatened that in response to such campaigns, it would send even more balloons with manure and trash across the border.
In addition to the leaflets, the bags also contained memory sticks with K-pop songs, South Korean productions, and one-dollar American bills.
They sent leaflets to North Korea. Kim Jong Un announces retaliation
We sent the truth and love, medicines, one-dollar bills and songs. But a barbaric Kim Jong-un sent us filth and garbage and he hasn’t made a word of apology over that - declared the head of the FFNK group, Park Sang Hak, in reference to the recent provocations from the regime in Pyongyang.
The recent sending of balloons with trash and excrement by North Korea has increased tensions between the two countries. As a result, the South Korean government has fully suspended the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement to ease military tensions.
Initially, North Korea stopped sending more balloons, but it has threatened to resume the action if South Korean activists send leaflets again. North Korean Vice Minister of Defence, Kim Kang Il, warned that in such a case, Pyongyang would send back "garbage amounting to 100 times".
The South Korean military has already confirmed that some of the balloons entered the airspace of their northern neighbour.
