[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] North Korea Broadcast Resumes Today... Counter Psychological Warfare

The military has decided to immediately resume loudspeaker broadcasts directed at North Korea. This is a countermeasure in response to North Korea releasing about 330 trash balloons toward the South on the 8th and 9th.

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On the 9th, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced via a text message distributed to reporters covering the Ministry of National Defense that "North Korea's trash balloons directed at the South were identified over the 8th and 9th, and our military is taking measures in close cooperation with relevant agencies." They added, "As of 10 a.m. today, it has been identified that North Korea released about 330 trash balloons, and currently, none are identified in the air," and "So far, about 80 have been identified as having fallen in our territory."

A significant number of the trash balloons released by North Korea fell into the sea or North Korean territory. The Joint Chiefs explained that the trash balloons released by North Korea were mainly observed in northern Gyeonggi, Seoul, and northern Gangwon due to the influence of westerly winds, and none were found in Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, or southern regions.

The Joint Chiefs stated, "Several trash balloons also fell into the East Sea, some went into North Korean territory, and many are presumed to have fallen into mountainous areas and the sea after leaving our observation range," adding, "Considering that about 80 trash balloons fell in our area, the efficiency is considered low." They also noted that "analysis is needed" regarding why North Korea released the trash balloons despite it not being the time when north winds were blowing.

The military authorities chose not to respond with shoot-down fire to North Korea's third release of trash balloons, just as they did during the first and second releases, but instead opted to collect them after they fell together with the police. The trash balloons contained waste such as scrap paper and plastic, similar to the first and second releases. The Joint Chiefs stated, "Analysis results showed no substances harmful to safety."

Meanwhile, the Presidential Office held an emergency National Security Council (NSC) Standing Committee meeting chaired by National Security Office Director Jang Ho-jin and decided to install loudspeakers directed at North Korea and conduct broadcasts within the day.

North Korea released trash balloons toward the South twice at the end of last month and early this month, using the distribution of leaflets by domestic civilian groups as a pretext, with about 1,000 balloons identified in the South. Afterwards, North Korea temporarily suspended the release of trash balloons but threatened that if leaflets were sent again, they would release "a hundredfold amount of tissue and trash." Nevertheless, when domestic civilian groups attached leaflets to large balloons and sent them to North Korea on the 6th and 7th, North Korea again released trash balloons toward the South.

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