North Korean Soldiers Cross Into South Korea For Third Time In 3 Weeks, Tensions Heat Up Over Propaganda Balloons
The South Korean military fired warning shots, as they did during the previous recent intrusions by North Korean soldiers causing the North Korean troops to retreat to their side of the border.
SEOUL - The South Korean military reported that North Korean soldiers working within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two countries briefly crossed the border into South Korea for the third time in the last three weeks before crossing back over into North Korea.
Tensions are also heating up again over balloons being sent into North Korea by the North's defectors, which were carrying 300,000 anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets, $3,000 in U.S. cash, and media such as USB sticks containing K-dramas.
North Korean defector Park Sang-hak said that he will continue sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea until North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issues an apology for sending balloons into South Korea carrying trash and feces.
North Korean defectors hope that by seeing the propaganda leaflets and experiencing South Korean media, the North Korean population will rise up against the leadership.
South Korea has also resumed its loudspeaker campaign, blasting propaganda via speakers across its shared border with North Korea, a campaign that was restarted on June 9th for the first time in six years after Pyongyang sent over 1,000 trash and feces filled balloons into South Korean in response for the propaganda leaflets sent in by the defectors.