Kim Byung-joo: "Government Helpless Against North Korea's Filth Balloons... Incompetent and Irresponsible"

There Is Still No Proper Manual About Omul Pungseon

Kim Byung-joo, Supreme Council Member, speaking. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

North Korea has sent over 5,500 filth balloons in 22 instances from last May until recently, causing fires and disruptions to aircraft takeoffs and landings. In this context, Kim Byung-joo, a Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized, "The government is helplessly suffering and unable to respond. It is incompetent and irresponsible."

On the 30th, Kim said on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' program, "I don't understand what it means to just be cautious when filth balloons fly over and to report when they fall," adding, "The government and the Ministry of National Defense are helplessly suffering and unable to respond."

Kim argued that filth balloons crossing the Military Demarcation Line should be intercepted in areas along the GOP line where there are no civilian houses. He explained that anti-aircraft weapons are safe because they self-destruct in the air and their ammunition does not fall to the ground. He raised his voice, saying, "The government's position is that they cannot act because if stray shots fall, North Korea might fire back and a clash could occur," calling it an "incompetent and irresponsible government."

In particular, Kim pointed out that the problem lies in the lack of a manual for responding when filth balloons fly over. He explained that a detailed manual should be created through experiments, specifying that balloons entering within a few meters of the airspace should be intercepted, and if interception is not possible, what measures should be taken.

The filth balloons are seen as North Korea's countermeasure against the distribution of leaflets by North Korean defector groups. The government’s stance is that while it will inform the groups about the issues related to restricting freedom of expression regarding leaflet distribution, it cannot stop them. Kim said, "When freedom of expression conflicts with the safety of our citizens, we must naturally choose the safety of the people," adding, "The leaflets sent by defector groups to North Korea violate UN Security Council resolutions and our domestic laws."

He continued, "The Security Council resolutions prohibit sending items like USB drives or dollars, so sanctions are possible," adding, "Even though there are means to control this, the government is doing nothing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.