North Korea flies balloons carrying rubbish over the South

Balloons with rubbish believed to have been sent by North Korea hang on electric wires as South Korean army soldiers stand guard in Muju, South Korea (Jeonbuk Fire Headquarters via AP)

North Korea has flown hundreds of waste-carrying balloons towards South Korea in one of its most bizarre provocations against its rival in years, prompting the South’s military to mobilise chemical and explosive response teams to recover objects and debris in different parts of the country.

The ballooning campaign came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged his military scientists to overcome a failed satellite launch and continue developing space-based reconnaissance capabilities, which he described as crucial for countering US and South Korean military activities, state media said.