In response to North Korea’s aggressive actions, South Korean activists have been sending balloons filled with K-pop, dollar bills, and anti-Kim Jong-un propaganda across the border. This act has provoked Pyongyang, leading to retaliatory actions such as sending balloons filled with cigarette butts and toilet paper towards the South.
Seoul has resumed loudspeaker broadcasts near the border, a tactic dating back to the Korean war, which has incited threats of armed conflict from North Korea. This escalating tension has strained inter-Korean relations, with fears of potential military action.
Despite previous attempts to ease tensions and cease hostilities, recent events have reignited animosity between the two countries. South Korean lawmakers passed a law criminalizing the distribution of leaflets to the North, which further exacerbated the situation.