Fragments of a document titled “Kim Jong Il Teachings” were found in the waste carried by several trash balloons sent by North Korea. The Ministry of Unification interpreted this as a sign of discontent among North Korean residents.
According to the Ministry of Unification on the 25th, an analysis of the contents of about 70 waste balloons collected from April 4-11 revealed two document covers of idolization with phrases “Teachings of Kim Jong Il, the Great Leader” and “Highly Esteemed As The Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea.” According to the Ministry’s analysis, this suggests discontent with the North Korean regime, as damaging documents containing the teachings of the leader are considered a serious crime punishable by death in North Korea.
A government official from the Ministry of Unification explained, “We believe that ordinary residents were mobilized for the launch of the balloon, and their resentment and dissatisfaction with the balloon launch is reflected as a result of urgently mobilizing administrative power.”
The balloons also contained a variety of waste items including discarded necessities, old clothes, items previously provided by South Korea, and counterfeit goods infringing on the copyrights of famous characters such as Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty.
Notably, items like neckties and denim jackets that were provided to North Korea were deliberately damaged, which the Ministry of Unification interprets as expressing hostility towards South Korea. Waste paper, vinyl, and cloth scraps were cut into uniform sizes, and all plastic bottles had their labels and caps removed, suggesting that the waste was specifically prepared for the balloon launch.
Parasites such as roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms were detected in the soil carried in the balloons. Human genes were also found, suggesting that human waste was used as fertilizer.
