A South Korean airport was temporarily shut down for three hours after North Korea launched balloons for the second consecutive day on Wednesday. According to Seoul-based Yonhap News, both domestic and international flights at Incheon International Airport were suspended or delayed from 1:46 a.m. to 4:44 a.m. local time due to the incident.
The military in Seoul reported that Pyongyang sent over 250 trash-carrying balloons towards South Korea overnight, marking the sixth such launch in the past month. Since May 28, more than 2,000 of these balloons have been sent, according to South Korean media.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff noted that over 100 balloons on Wednesday were carrying scrap papers and landed in Seoul and the northern part of Gyeonggi Province. This action comes after South Korea resumed propaganda broadcasts over loudspeakers along the border, prompting North Korea’s response.
North Korea has described the balloon launches as a “tit-for-tat” response to the anti-regime leaflets flown into the North from South Korea. Earlier this month, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned of “new responses” to Seoul’s actions, calling them a “prelude to a very dangerous situation.”
Meanwhile, North Korean media reported a mass rally in Pyongyang on Tuesday to commemorate the Korean War anniversary. Approximately 100,000 people attended the rally at May Day Stadium, where speakers expressed their resolve to retaliate against the U.S. and South Korea, denouncing them as the “unchangeable arch enemy.”
The situation remains tense as both Koreas continue their provocative actions, raising concerns about further escalation.–News Desk