North Korea sends balloons carrying bags of trash, excrement into South Korea
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A pile of trash carried into South Korea via balloon from North Korea. Photo: South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff.
North Korea floated hundreds of bags of trash into South Korea overnight, Seoul's military said on Wednesday.
Why it matters: North Korea said the bags of trash were in retaliation for balloons carrying leaflets launched into the North by activists in the South.
What they're saying: South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the balloons, which were carrying bags of garbage and dirt, were in violation of international law.
- It told North Korea to cease its "inhumane" and "low-level" acts and said any damage caused by the balloons would be North Korea's responsibility.
- It also alerted residents not to touch the balloons and report them to police and the military.
The big picture: Activists in South Korea, including defectors from the North, at times float balloons carrying leaflets critical of Pyongyang's military and Kim Jong Un into North Korea.
- South Korea has previously criminalized the act and charged activists for violating it, but South Korean courts have also struck down such laws over concerns that they restrict free speech.
Go deeper: Marine vet accused of North Korean embassy raid says his "life is in danger"
