North Korea’s trash balloons are being discovered across South Korea, wreaking havoc across the nation.
The balloons released this month were double the amount compared to last month.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on June 2, North Korea launched the trash balloons at 8 PM on June 1.
Since then, approximately 600 balloons have been identified in various places across South Korea, including Seoul, Gangwon, North Chungcheong Province, and North Gyeongsang Province. Authorities have sent safety text messages to people in these areas to be cautious. North Korea previously released about 260 waste balloons between May 28 and 29. As the first and second rounds of releases have resulted in nearly a thousand trash balloons falling in various places, the damage is becoming increasingly real.
According to the police, around 10:22 AM on June 2, a waste balloon fell in a villa parking lot in Danwon District, Ansan City, Gyeonggi Province. The balloon fell on a parked car and shattered the windshield. Trash balloons were also discovered in a market in Manan, Anyang City, and near Hwajin Beach in Pohang.
The situation was tense as the trash balloons could potentially lead to significant damage.
The problem is that if North Korea continues to release trash balloons, damage is expected to follow, but receiving compensation will not be easy. In February 2016, a bundle of North Korean leaflets fell on the rooftop of a townhouse in Suwon, damaging a water tank and glass. In January, a vehicle’s roof in Goyang was damaged, but there was confusion between local governments and insurance companies over compensation.
A police official said, “There are no current specific regulations for compensation for damage caused by trash balloons,” and “I understand that the car owner’s insurance company is also reviewing whether compensation is possible.”
