South Korea Finds Parasitics Such As Bracelets To Cambukworms In North Korean Waste Balloons

JAKARTA - Seoul's Unification Ministry on Monday announced that parasites have been found in several garbage balloons sent by North Korea to South Korea, but no harmful substances have been found.

North Korea is known to have sent more than 1,000 balloons filled with garbage to South Korea in recent weeks, in retaliation for a campaign of South Korean activist leaflets criticizing the North Korean regime.

"Many parasites, such as roundworms, whipworms, and kremi worms, are found in the soil contained in the garbage," the ministry said in a press release, adding the parasite is believed to have come from human feces. June 24.

The findings were based on an examination of 70 balloons. Among balloons filled with garbage, pieces of torn clothes were also found, such as ties and blue jackets, which appeared to have been cut with scissors or knives.

These clothes were identified as items previously provided to North Korea by a South Korean company.

"It appears that North Korea is damaging and sending these items previously provided to show extreme hostility to leaflet campaigns and to highlight hostile attitudes towards South Korea," said a ministry official, who asked for his identity to be kept secret.

The official noted that most of the trash consisted of used paper and vinyl, not ordinary household waste, which suggests North Korean authorities may be trying to prevent the disclosure of North Koreans' daily lives into the outside world.

Over the years, North Korean defectors in South Korea and conservative activists have sent anti-Pyongyang leaflets to North Korea using balloons, aimed at encouraging North Koreans to rise against Kim's family regime.

North Korea strongly opposes this propaganda campaign, fearing that the entry of information from outside could threaten the leadership of its regime.