North Korea Stops Delivery Of Waste Balloons If South Korea Stops Spreading Anti-Pyongyang Propaganda

The thickness of anti-Pyongyang propaganda sent by North Korea's escape in South Korea. (Taipei Times/EPA)

JAKARTA - North Korea on Sunday said it would temporarily suspend deliveries of balloons filled with garbage across the border into South Korea, while threatening to resume such operations if Seoul sent more anti-Pyongyang leaflets.

In a statement broadcast by the North Korea Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korean Deputy Defense Minister Kim Kang-il claimed Pyongyang had sent 3,500 balloons, carrying 15 tons of debris heading to South Korea between Tuesday night and Sunday morning.

Kim offered to temporarily suspend the activity as it was solely a response to anti-communist leaflets flown north by South Korean activists.

Kim added that if South Korea sends such leaflets again, North Korea will retaliate with balloons carrying 100 times the amount of garbage amounting to the amount of the propaganda paper.

As of Sunday evening, South Korean police said they had received more than 800 reports of balloons filled with garbage sent by North Korea.

The National Police Agency said 860 reports of balloons had been submitted between 9pm last Tuesday and Sunday at 5 pm local time. Police added that 581 of the reports were real balloon sightings, while 279 reports were submitted by those who asked for disaster emergency warning texts from the government.

According to police, most of the calls overnight came from western Seoul, although North Korean balloons had been seen in the east to Taebaek in Gangwon and Pohang provinces in North Gyeongsang Province.