North Korea released balloons carrying propaganda flyers, trash, manure, and other waste into South Korea, prompting authorities to warn residents to stay indoors.
The balloons, estimated to be over 260, were loaded with trash, manure, and other waste, crossing the border into South Korea and triggering a response from the South Korean military to recover the objects and debris.
North Korea warned of "overwhelming actions" against South Korea for a military exercise involving 20 fighter jets near the border before North Korea's failed launch.
The South Korean military warned people to stay indoors as the balloons were coming.
North Korea defended the action as "freedom of expression."
North Korea's actions were deemed to violate international laws and threaten the safety of South Koreans by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un, referred to the feces balloons as a "gift" to South Korea's "freedom democracy monsters" and vowed to respond with more "filth" in the future.
The South Korean Defense Ministry condemned North Korea's actions as inhumane and a serious threat to the safety of South Korean citizens.
South Korean activists not only send anti-North Korea propaganda but also balloons containing cash, media content banned in North Korea, and snacks like Choco Pie.
The two Koreas have been sending balloons and propaganda across the border since the Korean War, with this incident marking the largest number of balloons from North Korea since similar events in 2016 to 2018.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: BBC, Axios, CNN Español, ABC News, Financial Times, Le Monde, The Epoch Times, France24, Time, Business Insider, CNBC, The Independent, and Yahoo News.