South Korean Military Reveals Surprising Reason for Not Shooting Down North Korea’s Trash Balloons

The South Korean military explained why it could not immediately remove waste delivered by North Korean balloons.

Kim Myung Soo, Chairman of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed the issue during yesterday’s National Assembly’s Defense Committee session. When questioned about plans to intercept debris from North Korean balloons, Kim stated, “We fundamentally decided not to do that.”

He elaborated, “We prioritize the safety of our citizens and consider the potential risks associated with intercepting and causing the balloons to drop.” He further explained, “After evaluating the risks of falling debris, we concluded that the best approach is to track the balloons and retrieve them once they have landed.”

Regarding the motivation behind North Korea’s release of balloons filled with waste, Kim Myung Soo suggested a strategic intent to strain South Korea. “We believe they intend to increase our fatigue while fueling internal conflicts in South Korea,” he stated, adding, “The military must prepare for all possible scenarios, including new forms of attack.”

Kim addressed the suggestion of shooting the balloons down, explaining the practical implications. “I understand there are opinions suggesting we shoot at the balloons when they descend, but if 2,000 balloons were to fall and we fired anti-aircraft guns, it would resemble the anti-aircraft fire from World War II,” he said, concluding that this approach was not feasible.

In response to a query about the difference in impact between a balloon falling naturally and one being intercepted, Kim clarified, “It is different. The impact would be tremendous if it falls from as low as 2 kilometers to 4 to 6 kilometers up.”

Kim stressed the impracticality and risks of shooting down balloons within the demilitarized zone. “Shooting them down within the demilitarized zone is neither feasible nor wise,” he said, explaining, “If we fire, there’s a chance the bullets could fall into North Korea, potentially giving them a pretext for provocation.”

Concerning the possibility of North Korea weaponizing balloon debris in the future, Kim assessed the likelihood as low. “While it is not impossible for them to engage in a full-scale attack against us, the likelihood of them using such a foolish method is low,” he remarked, adding, “Any act of aggression would result in unimaginable consequences for North Korea.”

North Korea released its first and second waves of waste-filled balloons from May 28 to June 2 and sent additional balloons on ten occasions until July 24.

Meanwhile, yesterday, reports emerged that a North Korean citizen crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea to defect.

According to military officials, a North Korean-suspected defector attempted to defect near Gyodong Island via the West Sea. The South Korean military has reportedly secured the defector. This incident is significant as it marks a defection by a North Korean citizen, which is considered a critical situation.

On the same day, Defense Minister Shin Won Sik attended the complete session of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee and responded to a question from Rep. Kang Dae Sik of the People Power Party. He stated, “The National Intelligence Service, our main agency, is currently investigating,” adding, “I received a preliminary report, but I cannot discuss the details due to legal restrictions.”