150 Pieces of 'Filth Leaflets' Dropped from North Korea... Sightings Reported Nationwide

Beyond Northern Gyeonggi and Seoul Downtown to Jeolla and Gyeongsang

More than 150 leaflets (ppira) scattered by North Korea toward the South have been found nationwide.

An object presumed to be debris from a North Korean balloon used for leaflet distribution against South Korea, found in the Paju and Dongducheon areas of Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 29th, multiple online communities and social networking services (SNS) reported eyewitness accounts under titles such as 'Real-time items coming from North Korea' and 'Real-time discovery site of unidentified North Korean objects,' stating that balloons believed to have been sent by North Korea were found in more than 150 locations nationwide, including Seoul's Mapo and Gangseo districts, as well as Gyeonggi, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, and Chungcheong provinces. Some of these have fallen to the ground, while others continue to fly.

On the same day, on X (formerly Twitter), a post titled " North Korean ppira, anti-South leaflets" was shared along with two photos, stating, "They really started spreading excrement?it's chemical warfare." The photos show soil clumps contained in plastic that have burst and scattered on the ground. Two batteries, presumed to be from a Chinese company, were also wrapped in cloth and included. Yonhap News reported that these soil clumps are suspected to be manure.

A netizen reported witnessing flyers (leaflets) in Deungchon-dong, Seoul.
[Image source=Capture from X (formerly Twitter)]

Another X user reported witnessing ppira in downtown Seoul. He wrote, "I just saw ppira. I saw an article about North Korean anti-South leaflets; found in Deungchon-dong," sharing a photo of a flying object shaped like small rice cakes (joraeng-i tteok) floating in the air. In Guro-gu, Seoul, electronic devices were found among the ppira debris. The Joint Chiefs of Staff suspect that these electronic devices are 'timer devices' used to detonate the anti-South leaflet balloons mid-air.

Manure-like substance presumed to be fertilizer and batteries wrapped in cloth, suspected to be products of a Chinese company, found in leaflets (ppira) sent by North Korea. [Image source=Captured from X (formerly Twitter)]

There are also reports of objects presumed to be ppira debris seen in an apartment complex in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The photo shows a white balloon resting on landscaping facilities in the apartment complex, with police and military personnel dispatched to investigate. Reports were also received by the police of sightings at a utility pole in Muju-eup, Muju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, and of piles of waste damaging a vinyl greenhouse in a vineyard in Daejeon-dong, Yeongcheon-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Two balloons with bags presumed to be trash were found hanging in a rice field in Wicheon-myeon, Geochang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do.

Police and military officials are investigating after receiving a report of a white balloon sighting at an apartment complex in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Online community capture]

Balloons that fell to the ground were collected by the military's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Rapid Response Team (CRRT) and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units. Related agencies stated that they are conducting detailed analyses of the balloons and their internal contents. The Joint Chiefs of Staff urged, "Citizens are advised to refrain from outdoor activities and not to touch unidentified objects. Please report them to the nearest military unit or police."

Meanwhile, on the 26th, North Korea threatened to respond to the leaflet distribution by domestic anti-North Korean groups by stating that it would scatter toilet paper and waste materials in the border areas and deep inland regions of South Korea.