North Korea’s balloon carrying trash pops over South Korean presidential office

A North Korean balloon carrying trash exploded over the South Korean presidential office in Seoul on Thursday, dumping filth over one of the capital city’s most heavily guarded premises.

The explosion happened in early morning and the contents were scattered across the compound where Yoon works, according to a statement from the presidential security agency. No contamination or security risk has been detected in the rubbish and the presidential office is working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to keep an eye on further threats, it said.

North Korea’s actions come at a sensitive time. Pyongyang has angered South Korea and its allies, who have accused Kim Jong Un of dispatching soldiers to Russia to help Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Seoul has demanded North Korea and Russia end their cooperation and withdraw troops, and raised the prospects of sending arms to Ukraine in response.

North Korea has sent more than 5,000 balloons with leaflets and debris since May in retaliation for South Korea’s military drills with the U.S. and other actions it deems as a threat to its sovereignty.

Many of the balloons from North Korea have contained items such as wastepaper, cigarette butts and shoe parts. Last month, South Korea warned of possible military actions if North Korea continues to fly more trash balloons across the border, a rare direct threat of retaliation since Pyongyang started sending them in May.

Tensions between the two countries have escalated over the past few months, with South Korea complaining about the trash balloons sent by North Korea, and Pyongyang accusing the South of sending drones over its capital and the North’s blowing up of roads connecting the two countries.

The growing animosity comes as Kim Jong Un bolsters his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. After supplying Russia with artillery shells, Kim is now deploying his own troops with a “very serious” possibility that they will take part in combat against Ukraine, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on a trip to Europe.

Roughly 10,000 North Korean troops are expected to be deployed by December, according to South Korean lawmakers briefed by the spy agency. South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on Thursday said in parliament those soldiers are clad in Russian uniforms, characterizing them as “cannon fodder mercernaries.”

The escalation in tensions comes less than two weeks before the US presidential election. There’s potential for Pyongyang to test-launch a long-range rocket before the election, the South Korean defense chief added. Kim inspected strategic missile bases and ordered the military to stay ready to deal a counterblow to enemies “at any time,” North Korea’s official media said on Wednesday.

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