SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Trash carried by a North Korean balloon fell on the presidential compound in central Seoul on Thursday for the second time, elevating issues in regards to the vulnerability of key South Korean websites.
The incident comes after the rival Koreas ramped up threats and rhetoric towards one another over North Korea’s claims that South Korea flew drones over its capital, Pyongyang, to scatter propaganda leaflets this month.
No harmful gadgets have been discovered within the garbage that was dropped on the bottom when one of many North Korean balloons burst over the South Korean presidential compound on Thursday morning, South Korea’s presidential safety service mentioned in a press release.
North Korea has despatched 1000’s of balloons carrying baggage of garbage like plastic and paper waste into South Korea since late Could in a resumption of a Chilly Battle-style psychological marketing campaign. The trash that fell on the South Korean presidential compound in July additionally contained no hazardous supplies.
It wasn’t instantly recognized whether or not South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was on the compound through the newest incident. Later Thursday, he met visiting Polish President Andrzej Duda at his workplace.
South Korean media reported that North Korean leaflets criticizing Yoon and his spouse, Kim Keon Hee, have been discovered on Thursday in Seoul’s Yongsan district, the place Yoon’s presidential workplace is positioned. Media revealed images of some leaflets that described Kim as a latter-day Marie Antoinette, the queen who was beheaded in 1793 through the French Revolution.
The studies mentioned it was the primary time that North Korean propaganda leaflets have been present in South Korea because the North started its balloon marketing campaign 5 months in the past.
The South Korean presidential safety service did not affirm the studies. However South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Employees later urged North Korea to cease flying “crude leaflets” slandering the South’s president, warning that Pyongyang will probably be completely answerable for any penalties.
Consultants say North Korea possible lacks the subtle expertise wanted to drop balloons on particular targets.
“Whether or not the balloons have GPS or not, it’s all about launching them in massive numbers and hitting the proper altitude based mostly on wind route and pace, in order that they will journey these winds to journey,” Lee Choon Geun, an honorary analysis fellow at South Korea’s Science and Expertise Coverage Institute, mentioned.
“Whereas some media are saying the accuracy of the balloons has improved, that improved accuracy isn’t as a result of they outfitted them with some kind of steerage system, however relatively as a result of it’s the season when winds blow southward,” Lee mentioned.
North Korea accused South Korea of using drones to drop propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang 3 times this month and threatened a navy response if it occurs once more. South Korea has refused to substantiate whether or not it despatched drones however warned that North Korea would face the top of its regime if the protection of South Korean residents is threatened.
North Korea mentioned its balloon activities have been a tit-for-tat motion towards South Korean activists launching anti-Pyongyang leaflets through their very own balloons. South Korea responded by restarting propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts at border areas, prompting North Korea to activate their very own frontline loudspeakers.
The Koreas’ Chilly Battle-style campaigns come as North Korean chief Kim Jong Un has elevated the tempo of his weapons assessments and expanded navy cooperation with Russia.
U.S. and South Korean officers mentioned Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia and are coaching at a number of areas. South Korean officers say North Korea ultimately goals to ship a complete of 10,000 troops to Russia to assist its conflict efforts in Ukraine.
South Korea is worried that Russia might reward North Korea by giving it refined applied sciences that might enhance the North’s nuclear and missile applications that focus on South Korea and america.
