581 Object Discovery Reports and 279 Inquiry Reports
"Report Quickly Upon Discovery and Avoid Contact"
More than 800 police reports have been received nationwide regarding the South Korea-bound filth balloons dispersed twice by North Korea.
According to the National Police Agency on the 2nd, a total of 860 112 emergency calls related to the filth balloons were received from 9 p.m. on the 28th of last month to 5 p.m. on the same day. There were 581 reports of objects being found and 279 inquiries related to disaster text messages and other matters.
North Korea dispersed about 260 balloons containing filth and trash such as cigarette butts, waste paper, and plastic on the 28th and 29th of last month, and again sent filth balloons southward from 8 p.m. the previous day.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that by 1 p.m. on the day, about 720 filth balloons had been identified in areas including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, and Gyeongbuk.
The police and fire departments immediately dispatched personnel upon receiving reports to preserve the scene and take initial measures, while the military collected the balloons and their debris for detailed analysis by relevant agencies.
From the night of the second dispersal to the morning of the following day, 112 emergency calls were concentrated in western Seoul areas such as Yangcheon-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu, and Mapo-gu.
At around 9 p.m. the previous day, South Korea-bound leaflets were found scattered at the professor research building on the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies campus in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. They are presumed to have been contained in balloons sent by North Korea.
In Gyeonggi Province, reports continued overnight from areas including Goyang, Paju, Bucheon, and Anyang, while in Incheon, reports came from Michuhol-gu, Bupyeong-gu, Seo-gu, and Jung-gu.
At around 10:22 a.m. on the day, the front windshield of a passenger car was shattered by a filth balloon in a villa parking lot in Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.
In addition, reports of filth balloon sightings were received from areas outside the metropolitan area, including Hongcheon, Wonju, Yeongwol, and Taebaek in Gangwon Province, and Yecheon, Andong, and Pohang in Gyeongbuk Province.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is operating a 24-hour situation room in coordination with the Capital Defense Command, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters to monitor and respond to the situation in real time.
A Seoul city official urged, "Please promptly report any discovery of North Korean South Korea-bound leaflets or contaminated balloons to the military, police, or other relevant authorities, and refrain from contact for safety."
So far, cigarette butts, waste paper, plastic, and other trash have been found inside the filth balloons, with no chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR) contaminants detected.
On social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), reactions included comments like, "If a person is hit, wouldn't a filth balloon become a deadly weapon?" and "North Korea should be fined for illegal dumping of trash."
Mr. Lee (70), a Seoul resident, said regarding North Korean Labor Party Vice Chair Kim Yo-jong's claim that the South Korea-bound filth balloons are an "expression of freedom," "It's ridiculous to talk about freedom in a country like North Korea," and added, "I hope the government responds firmly to North Korea as much as it harms our people."
On the other hand, office worker Mr. Park (41) said, "I do not want inter-Korean relations to worsen because of this incident," and added, "The North and South should resolve the situation through dialogue."
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