North Korea Sends ‘Filth Balloons’ into South Korean Territory: A Violation of the Armistice Agreement?

On the morning of the 29th, a waste-carrying balloon sent by North Korea was found landed in a field in Cheoin-gu, Yongin City, Gyeonggi-do. Yonhap News

The UN Military Command(UNC) has announced that it is currently conducting an official investigation into North Korea’s waste-carrying balloon dispersion, citing it as a violation of the ceasefire agreement.

According to the UNC’s Facebook page on the 30th, the UN stated, “The military action of deploying mass numbers of balloons with substances (e.g., fecal matter and other contaminants) that can cause harm to local populations is not only offensive and unsanitary but constitutes a violation of the Armistice Agreement.”

The UNC added, “United Nations Command is conducting a formal investigation on the matter, which the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will observe to provide third-party oversight.”

Mayra Nañez, a spokesperson for the UNC, criticized the move, saying, “The DPRK has repeatedly stated its desire to be treated as a responsible member of the international community, but the act of sending balloons containing fecal matter and other contaminants into a neighbor’s airspace and affecting its populace is irresponsible.”