It is nothing new that relations between Pyongyang and Seoul are not at their best. Earlier this year, North Korean leader Kim Jon-un vowed to remove a major monument dedicated to the reunification of the Korean Peninsula and called its southern neighbor the country’s “main enemy”. No half measures or hot towels. The situation has not improved since then as threats have increased and the border between the two countries has strengthened.

But in this escalation of tension there are two heroes who are as strange as they are unexpected: balloons full of garbage and drones distributing leaflets. These may seem like a small extravagance, but they have strained (even further) the already turbulent relations between the governments of North and South Korea.

What happened? The complex political establishment that today constitutes the Korean Peninsula was shaken (even more so) by two strange heroes. Balloons. And drones. More precisely, garbage balloons and drones.

These are more than just a trigger for escalating tensions between Pyongyang and Seoul, they are a consequence of it, but that doesn’t mean they play a pivotal role in relations between the two countries. To understand this, it is better to start at the end, with how Kim Jong-un’s government launched a resounding threat to its southern neighbor based on a few leaflets and drones of unknown origin.

Pyongyang under drones. At the beginning of October, on Thursday 3rd, North Korean authorities detected at least one leaflet-laden drone over Pyongyang. A similar incident occurred again a few days ago. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is the official name of the country ruled by Kim Jong-un, at least according to data released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Beyond the drones, the incident revealed the regime’s anger due to its context.

“Provocative rumors”. North Korean officials believe the drones came from South Korea and charge that what they were carrying were political leaflets filled with “provocative rumors and nonsense” against Kim Jong-un’s harsh regime. This is according to North Korean state news agency KCNA. Result: The government, which did not pay much attention to the criticism of the Kim dynasty, which ruled the country and supported the leader cult, reacted harshly.

“We are not worried about who the main force or perpetrators of the recent drone incident are,” warned the influential Kim Yo-jong, sister of the North Korean leader, adding: “We will take strong retaliatory measures accordingly.” Cross-border political garbage from North Korea In case the message is not clear, Yo-jong warned Seoul that it would face a “terrible disaster” if Pyongyang resurfaces under drones.

“A military attack”. The State Department went further, warning that any violation of the North Korean capital’s airspace “could be considered a full-fledged military attack.” South Korean officials reacted immediately to the situation. Although he marks the distances with what happened.

The defense minister assured that South Korea was not flying drones over Pyongyang, but did not clarify whether he was talking only about army devices or devices used by South Korean citizens. South Korea’s Chief of Staff later acknowledged that he could not clarify whether his northern neighbor’s accusations were true, but sent him a message of “moderation”.

The issue of drones and balloons. The truth is that drones allegedly belonging to South Korea are not the only controversial devices flying over the border between the two Koreas in recent weeks. Since May, more than 5,500 balloons filled with garbage, inflatable balloons containing fertilizer in some cases, and even timers have been received in Seoul. This strange “rain” started in May, and South Korean officials are clear about who is behind it: Kim Jong-un.

“Decisive military actions”. Over time, “trash balloons” ceased to be an anecdote and became a real headache for Seoul. They have already caused some fires, reached government buildings, and fears are flying across the country that one day they may contain more than dirty paper, such as radioactive substances or pathogens. In Seoul, they are considering stopping them with drones and VTOL, and they did not hesitate to send an equally strong message to Pyongyang: If one of these balloons kills someone, the country will not hesitate to act accordingly.

The country’s Chief of Staff clearly stated, “If North Korea’s garbage-filled balloons pose a serious security threat or are deemed to have crossed a line, a decisive military intervention will be required.”

The story gets complicated (much more). In reality, the story is a little more complicated. Neither drones nor balloons are new. And ironically, there are reasons to think that not all balloons are from North Korea or not all drones are from South Korea. Activists have been known to send balloons to North Korea from the south side of the border, but instead of garbage they carry political leaflets against Kim Jong-un, dollar bills and USB drives with K-pop music.

Regarding drones, Seoul has also accused North Korea of ​​flying drones over its airspace in recent years. In fact, at the end of 2022, the South Korean Government deployed warplanes after detecting five devices that it identified as North Korean goods on the roofs in the Seoul area.

And the speakers came. As if the scenario wasn’t complicated enough, South Korean officials have found an old tool to respond to Kim Jong-un’s “garbage balloons”: loudspeakers. Big and strong. Seoul broadcasts propaganda or K-pop messages through devices located at the border. Again, this is not a new tactic. Seoul did this years ago in what former South Korean president Park Geun-hye described in 2016 as “an effective form of psychological warfare.”

exploding roads. In this context, tensions between the two countries continue to worsen. So much so that North Korea blew up parts of two of the main connecting roads to the southern country. The move is more symbolic than real, as both Koreas are separated by a fortified border, but it sends a clear message to its neighbor. The South Korean military has already fired warning shots near the border.

Pictures | 李季霖 (Flickr) and Daniel Bernard (Unsplash)

in Xataka | Putin gave a gift to Kim Jong Un. Now the war has reached a completely different point: North Korean troops are in Ukraine next to Russia