South Korea will restart anti-North Korean propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts in border areas in response to North Korean campaigns to drop trash on the South with balloons [29245c10]. The move is certain to anger North Korea and potentially prompt it to take its own retaliatory military steps [29245c10]. North Korea has sent over 1,000 balloons to drop trash and manure in the South in retaliation against South Korean civilian leafletting campaigns [29245c10]. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the North launching around 330 balloons toward the South since Saturday night and about 80 were found in South Korean territory as of Sunday morning [29245c10].
The resumption of South Korea's loudspeaker broadcasts has been widely anticipated since last week when South Korea annulled a 2018 tension-easing agreement with North Korea, allowing for the South to resume propaganda campaigns and possibly restart live-fire military exercises in border areas [29245c10]. This decision by South Korea is seen as a direct response to the trash-filled balloons sent by North Korea [29245c10].
The ongoing tensions between North and South Korea, fueled by the exchange of balloons and other actions, have broader implications for regional stability [b579d381] [29245c10]. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, and diplomatic efforts may be needed to de-escalate tensions and prevent further conflict [f35b2374] [29245c10].