Title: North Korean Trash Balloons Spew Chaos in Seoul
Seoul, South Korea – Flights in and out of one of the world’s busiest airports came to a grinding halt recently due to an unusual culprit – trashed balloons from North Korea. It’s a peculiar problem, yes, but one that brought disruptions to the usually efficient infrastructure, causing inconvenience to thousands of passengers. So, what’s behind this unusual airspace mess?
The issue began when officials first spotted the balloons, which drifted gently across the border from the secretive Korean states. Initially, it was reported they were harmless, mere decorations launched skyward to celebrate special festivities. However, upon closer examination, locals discovered the balloons were filled not only with festive colors and debris (like shredded paper or bits of fabric) but also with human remains, including burnt bones and discarded consumer goods. This disturbingly twisted mix has led the city governments to scramble for responses; the South Korean authorities did as much as they could, clearing obstacles from runways at least.
What’s more fascinating however, are the implications attached on the North Korean side; North Korea is known for such brazenly provocative events of late. One could think North Korea would have made them more substantial. These balloons not, incidentally, seem to come accompanied by the customary North Korean menace.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/north-korea-trash-balloons-disrupt-flights-seoul-fire-4503736