South Korean airport shut down after North Korea sent trash-carrying balloons

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – A South Korean airport was shut down for three hours after North Korea launched balloons for the second straight day on Wednesday.

Takeoffs and landings of both domestic and international flights at Incheon International Airport were suspended or delayed from 1:46 a.m. to 4:44 a.m. local time, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported, citing airport officials.

Earlier, the military in Seoul said Pyongyang sent more than 250 trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea overnight, the sixth such launch since last month.

According to South Korean media, over 2,000 trash-carrying balloons have been sent to South Korea since May 28.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said over 100 balloons on Wednesday were carrying scrap papers and landed in Seoul and the northern part of Gyeonggi Province.

Earlier this month, South Korea claimed that Pyongyang had resumed air-dropping trash, with more than 300 balloons crossing the border after Seoul resumed propaganda broadcasts over loudspeakers after six years.

Pyongyang has described its move as a "tit-for-tat" response to anti-regime leaflets flown into North Korea from South Korea.

Earlier, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong also warned that Pyongyang would use "new responses" to Seoul's leaflets and loudspeaker broadcasts.

She called Seoul's actions a "prelude to a very dangerous situation."

Meanwhile, North Korean media said a mass rally was held in Pyongyang on Tuesday as the country commemorated the Korean War anniversary.

Around 100,000 people attended the mass rally at the May Dar Stadium on the day of struggle against "US Imperialism," the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.

"The speakers, in reflection of the retaliatory spirit of all the people, expressed their will to annihilate the U.S. imperialists and the ROK puppets, the unchangeable arch enemy, at any cost, bitterly denouncing the inhumane crimes committed by the sworn enemy," the news agency said.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid