N. Korea again sends trash balloons, claims Seoul sent drones over Pyongyang

North Korea floated trash balloons toward South Korea on Friday, both in the early morning and late at night, the military said, as the reclusive regime claimed that the South had sent unmanned drones over Pyongyang three times since last week.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said North Korea sent the balloons late Friday, after launching some 40 balloons earlier in the day, just three days after a similar incident.

The JCS said the bundles consisted of household garbage, such as scrap paper and plastic, and no hazardous substances had been detected.

It marked the 28th time North Korea has sent trash balloons to South Korea since May.

North Korea, meanwhile, claimed Friday that South Korea had sent unmanned drones carrying leaflets over Pyongyang on Oct. 3, as well as on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

“(The move) is a blatant infringement of the sacred national sovereignty and safety, and a violent violation of international law,” the North’s foreign ministry said, calling for South Korea to immediately end its “dangerous provocation” that could lead to “an armed conflict that could even escalate into war.”

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, however, said South Korea has not sent a drone to North Korea.

“We have not done that. I am not aware of the situation,” Kim said during a parliamentary audit, when asked by lawmakers on the news report.

The JCS also echoed the view, noting it will check whether the leaflets were sent by private organizations.

In response to the North’s balloon launches, the South’s military has been blasting daily anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts through loudspeakers along the border since July. It has refrained from directly shooting down the balloons, citing safety concerns.

South Korea’s military has vowed to take “stern” military measures should North Korea “cross the line” with its ongoing trash balloon campaign or inflict serious damage to the South Korean people.