In a retaliatory move, North Korea launched additional balloons filled with trash towards South Korea, following a similar campaign earlier in the week. South Korea's military confirmed the launches, which were said to be in response to activists flying anti-North Korean leaflets across the border.

The South Korean Defense Ministry has yet to release a statement regarding the number of balloons detected or the exact number that have landed in South Korea. In response, the military has advised people to exercise caution and avoid touching any objects suspected to be from North Korea. Instead, citizens are urged to report such findings to military or police offices.

The city government of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, sent out text alerts warning residents of unidentified objects believed to be flown from North Korea. The military promptly responded to these alerts. These balloon launches add to a series of provocative actions by North Korea, including a failed spy satellite launch and multiple short-range missile launches aimed at demonstrating its ability to preemptively attack the South.

South Korea's military has taken swift action, dispatching chemical rapid response and explosive clearance teams to recover debris from approximately 260 North Korean balloons discovered across the country between Tuesday night and Wednesday. The balloons were found to be carrying various types of trash and manure, but no dangerous substances such as chemical, biological, or radioactive materials.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, confirmed in a statement that the balloon launches were in line with the country's recent threat to flood South Korea with rubbish as a response to the leaflet campaigns conducted by South Korean activists. Kim hinted that balloons may become a standard response, warning that her country would "scatter rubbish dozens of times more."

North Korea has consistently shown extreme sensitivity towards external attempts to undermine Kim Jong Un's absolute control over its population of 26 million, with limited access to foreign news. In previous incidents, North Korea demolished a South Korean-built liaison office on its territory and engaged in exchanges of fire over propaganda balloons.

In 2022, North Korea even suggested that balloons flown from South Korea had caused a COVID-19 outbreak within its isolated borders. However, this claim has been widely regarded as highly questionable and an attempt to blame the South for deteriorating inter-Korean relations.

As tensions persist on the Korean Peninsula, ongoing vigilance and diplomatic efforts will be crucial to prevent further escalation and mitigate the impact of such provocative actions.