South Korea reveals gross find in Kim Jong-un’s ‘revenge’ balloons

It has been revealed what North Korea sent over the border to the South via mysterious balloons in an act of retaliation.

It has been revealed what was inside the balloons North Korea sent over the border as retaliation to anti-regime leaflets sent by activists in the South.

Pyongyang has already sent more than a thousand balloons carrying rubbish southward and the tit-for-tat balloon war is not over with more balloons from the North likely.

Seoul says, based on an analysis of 70 balloons sent from Pyongyang, it found soil containing parasites from human faeces and defaced Western clothing.

“Numerous parasites, such as roundworms, whipworms and threadworms, were found in the soil contained in the trash,” South Korea’s Ministry of Unification said in a statement.

However, it assured citizens there was “no risk” of land pollution or infectious diseases because the amount of soil sent was not significant.

There were also cut up clothes that had been donated by a South Korean company during an aid drive, it said.

North Korean trash from balloons that crossed the border. Parasites from human faeces and defaced Western clothing were found, Seoul said. Picture: South Korean Unification Ministry / AFP

A suspected North Korea trash balloon seen on June 9. Picture: South Korean Defence Ministry / AFP

Worn clothing with Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and Hello Kitty characters, as well as socks, gloves and heavily patched up children’s clothing were discovered, global news agency Reuters reported.

Hello Kitty items were found in the trash. Picture: South Korean Unification Ministry / AFP

Balloon war continues

Seoul is expecting more balloons carrying rubbish to float their way into South Korea.

Citizens have been warned to watch out for “falling debris” and not to touch any of the balloons, and report them to authorities immediately.

An activist in the South confirmed on Friday that he had launched more balloons, with Pyongyang vowing to respond.

Park Sang-hak, who defected from North Korea and has been sending anti-regime leaflets north for years, said he floated 20 balloons laden with propaganda as well as flash drives with K-pop and television dramas across the border on Thursday last week.

South Korean military officers check unidentified objects believed to be North Korean trash from balloons that crossed the inter-Korea border in early June. Picture: South Korean Defence Ministry / AFP

The North is extremely sensitive about its people accessing South Korean pop culture, with a United Nations report saying possession of large amounts of such content has been known to result in the death penalty.

Legally, South Korea cannot sanction activists sending balloons across the border due to a 2023 court ruling that bans it as an unjustifiable infringement on free speech.

Kim Jong-un hosted Russian leader Vladimir Putin last week. Picture: KCNA VIA KNS / AFP

Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in years, with Kim Jong-un hosting Russian leader Vladimir Putin last week, and signing a mutual defence agreement that has raised concerns in Seoul.

In response, the South – a major weapons exporter – has said it will “reconsider” a longstanding policy that has prevented it from supplying arms directly to Ukraine.

Experts said it was possible that border tensions could escalate quickly.

“We also can’t rule out the possibility that North Korea might take more drastic provocative actions because of their confidence after signing the treaty with Russia,” said Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

– with AFP