North Korea has resumed launching balloons filled with trash towards South Korea, after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new defense deal between North Korea and Russia, Associated Press reports.
Balloons previously launched by North Korea contained waste like manure, cigarette butts, and scraps. The South Korean military has warned citizens to avoid touching these balloons and report them. The balloon launches are North Korea’s retaliation against South Korean activists who send anti-North Korean leaflets across the border. South Korea responded to earlier balloon launches by resuming loudspeaker broadcasts near the border, playing K-pop songs, weather forecasts, news, and criticisms of North Korea’s missile program.
South Korea, the US, and Japan have condemned the increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, which has implications for regional security and global peace efforts. A US aircraft carrier recently arrived in South Korea for a joint military exercise with South Korea and Japan, which North Korea criticized, viewing it as a threat.
