SEOUL, South Korea: A North Korean balloon carrying debris, including propaganda leaflets, landed on Seoul’s presidential compound on Thursday.
The incident marks the second time North Korean balloons have directly hit the highly secured Yongsan office of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The balloon, which exploded mid-air, scattered debris across the area, according to the Presidential Security Service. Upon inspection, authorities confirmed the material posed no safety or contamination risk.
The balloon was reportedly filled with leaflets ridiculing President Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee. The leaflets mocked the couple with insulting phrases, intensifying tensions between the two nations. These balloon-borne propaganda messages are North Korea’s retaliation against South Korean activists who send anti-Pyongyang materials, including USB drives and leaflets, across the border.
This escalation follows North Korea’s growing hostility, with Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, recently condemning Seoul for sending drones to Pyongyang and warning of severe consequences. The political and military friction between the two Koreas continues to rise, while North Korea has also deployed soldiers to Russia amid growing international tensions.
