Seoul, June 6 2024 — The ongoing "balloon war" between North and South Korea has intensified, with the latest exchange involving balloons carrying USB drives loaded with K-pop music and dramas sent into North Korea. The balloons, launched on Thursday, were reported by British media outlet The Guardian.

These balloons also carried anti-Pyongyang leaflets, sent by North Korean defectors now residing in South Korea. The group claimed responsibility for sending ten large balloons filled with 200,000 leaflets critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's regime.

The leaflet campaign has significantly heightened tensions between the two Koreas. In retaliation, North Korea has reportedly launched balloons carrying excrement and garbage into South Korean territory on two occasions. The North previously accused the South of using balloons for surveillance purposes.

This recent development underscores the ongoing hostilities and the unconventional methods employed by both nations in their information warfare. While the South Korean government has occasionally attempted to curb these activities, citing safety and diplomatic concerns, the actions of these defector groups continue to fuel the contentious relationship between the two countries.