North Korea sends about 20 trash balloons toward South Korea

Seoul, Oct 20 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) North Korea has floated about 20 balloons carrying trash toward South Korea, and some 10 objects from the balloons were found in the border county of Cheorwon, the South Korean military said on Sunday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the trash-loaded balloons were sent across the border between Saturday night and early Sunday and the fallen objects were household waste, such as paper and vinyl, and included no hazardous items, Yonhap news agency reported. The number of dropped items does not necessarily correspond to the number of balloons, as each balloon, which measures approximately 2 to 3 meters in diameter and 3 to 4 meters in length, usually contains several smaller bags. Since late May, the North has launched more than 5,000 trash balloons to South Korea in retaliation against anti-Pyongyang leaflets launched by activists and North Korean defectors in the South. —