North Korea’s Trash Balloon Sparks Major Fire: Is This the New Frontier of Provocation?

A fire erupted in South Korea after a trash balloon launched by North Korea landed on the roof of a warehouse in Gwangtan-myeon, Paju City, sparking concerns that North Korea could escalate provocations using these balloons.

On Sunday afternoon, the balloon caused a blaze that burned for three hours before being extinguished. Fire authorities quickly responded with 23 pieces of equipment and 58 personnel, bringing the fire under control by 5:05 PM.

The fire burned the roof of a 330-square-meter (3,552-square-foot) warehouse, resulting in property damage estimated at 88 million KRW (65,000 USD). Fortunately, no injuries were reported as no one was inside the warehouse.

Police and fire authorities believe that the fire ignited when the trigger attached to the balloon burned along with the rubbish, and they are investigating the exact cause of the fire.

A fire official explained to News1, “Each trash balloon is equipped with a timer-triggered device. It explodes after a certain time, which likely ignited the contents.”

Since North Korea began launching the balloons at the end of May, the property damage incurred in the metropolitan area exceeds about 100 million KRW (75,000 USD).

According to data that the Security and Public Administration Committee member Yang Bu Nam received from the Seoul and Gyeonggi provincial governments, the damage from North Korean trash balloons from May 28 to October 10th amounts to about 100 million KRW (75,000 USD). The damage in Seoul is about 80 million KRW (60,000 USD), while Gyeonggi Province incurred about 2.6 million won (2,000 USD). The total damage approaches about 200 million KRW (150,000 USD), including fire-related events.

Concerns are mounting that North Korea could cause significant harm with these balloons if they choose to escalate their tactics. The South Korean military has collected debris from fallen balloons rather than shooting them down mid-air.

As of today, North Korea has launched trash balloons southward for five consecutive days. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that over 120 balloons were launched around 9 AM, with more than 40 confirmed to have fallen in Seoul and northern Gyeonggi Province.

The trash balloons contain paper, plastic, and plastic bottles. When initially, North Korea filled the balloons with manure, compost, and cigarette butts, later switched to paper, plastic, and plastic bottles, leading to the name change from filth balloons to trash balloons.

Since late May, North Korea has justified launching trash balloons as a response to South Korean civic groups’ distribution of anti-North Korean leaflets. They have launched 17 batches of balloons so far and resumed their activity on the 4th after a month-long break since October 10.

The JCS stated, “We will respond calmly and resolutely according to our response manual, prioritizing the safety of our citizens.”