Propaganda leaflets from North Korea have been found in various locations.
On the night of the 28th, an emergency disaster alert was sent to some residents in the Gyeonggi and Seoul areas. The alert advised residents to refrain from outdoor activities and to report to the military if they identify any unknown objects suspected to be North Korean propaganda leaflets.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff sent a message to the press corps on the same day, stating, “We have identified unknown objects suspected to be North Korean propaganda leaflets in the Gyeonggi and Gangwon border areas, and the military is currently taking measures. We ask citizens to refrain from outdoor activities, and in case of sighting of an unidentified object, avoid contact and report to the nearest military unit or police.”
Previously, on the 26th, North Korea threatened through the Korean Central News Agency that they would retaliate against the South Korean organizations’ distribution of anti-North Korea leaflets, stating, “A large number of leaflets and trash will soon be scattered in the border and central areas of South Korea. South Korea will experience first-hand the effort it takes to collect them.” Related to this, on the 29th, various online communities were filled with posts from netizens claiming to have found objects sent from North Korea. Titles included the real-time discovery of an object from North Korea and the real-time discovery scene of an unknown object from North Korea.
Pictures shared by netizens show two batteries tied together with what appears to be a shoelace. Another one shows soldiers and related personnel gathered at the location where the leaflets were found.
On the same day, a netizen posted a picture of a balloon-like flying object found in Deungchon-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on X (formerly Twitter), captioned “I just witnessed a leaflet.” The military authorities had previously announced that around 11 PM on the 28th, the identification of ten unknown objects suspected to be North Korean propaganda leaflets in the Gyeonggi and Gangwon border areas.
Another X user posted a picture of what looked like dirt and pieces of a burst balloon scattered on the ground, commenting, “They say this is trash from North Korea. If you see something like this, be careful and report it immediately.” It’s not the first time the country has done this as North Korea had previously sent trash-filled balloons in 2016.
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