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South Korean soldiers dismantle propaganda loudspeakers that had been installed along the Military Demarcation Line in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on May 1, 2018. (photo pool)

In response to launches of waste-carrying balloons across the DMZ and GPS jamming attacks by North Korea, South Korea announced on Sunday that it plans to take measures that will be “difficult for North Korea to handle.” 

The presidential office also announced that it would not exclude the option of resuming loudspeaker broadcasts. North Korea announced on Sunday evening that it planned to stop the balloon launches for now. 

National security adviser Chang Ho-jin presided over an emergency meeting of the National Security Council on Sunday afternoon at the presidential office in Seoul’s Yongsan neighborhood. 

“Balloons filled with waste and GPS jamming attacks are something that no normal country would do — provocations that totally lack common sense and logic,” Chang said. 

Chang classified the attacks and balloons as “provocations that threaten the safety of South Korean citizens” and declared that Seoul would “respond with measures that will be difficult for North Korea to handle.” 

The presidential office also indicated it would consider resuming loudspeaker broadcasts, which were discontinued after the 2018 inter-Korean summit. Regarding the “measures that will be difficult for North Korea to handle,” a high-level official within the presidential office said, “Details will be announced within a few days.” 

“The option of resuming loudspeaker broadcasts is not off the table,” the official added. 

A balloon carrying a bag of trash flown by North Korea to South Korea landed on a road in Incheon’s Michuhol District on June 2. (courtesy of Incheon Fire Services)

Seoul seems to have judged that loudspeaker broadcasts represent a proportional response according to the rights of self-defense under international law. The broadcasts are a nuisance to Pyongyang, just as the balloons are a filthy annoyance to Seoul. 

Military authorities have stored the loudspeaker equipment since the agreement reached in 2018 at Panmunjom. If the government decides to resume broadcasts, the equipment can be reinstalled within a couple of days. 

Resuming the broadcasts would require Seoul to further suspend conditions of the Sept. 19 comprehensive inter-Korean military agreement signed in 2018. Last November, Seoul suspended parts of the agreement that established a no-fly zone near the inter-Korean border. The administration will likely make decisions on the broadcasts and additional suspension of agreement stipulations in its upcoming Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

North Korean Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang-il announced on Monday that Pyongyang would be suspending balloon launches until further notice. 

“But, if the ROK clans resume anti-DPRK leaflet scattering, we will correspond to it by intensively scattering wastepaper and rubbish hundred times the amount of scattered leaflets and the number of cases, as we have already warned,” Kang added. 

From May 28 to 29 and from June 1 to 2, North Korea sent over 720 balloons filled with wastepaper and excrement. On Sunday, North Korea attempted to jam GPS signals along the western coast.

By Lee Seung-jun, staff reporter; Kwon Hyuk-chul, staff reporter; Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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