Photographs shared on social media show bags attached via string to white translucent balloons carrying toilet paper, dark soil, and batteries, among other contents.

Police and military officers are seen in some of these photographs.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that “some of the fallen balloons carried what appears to be faeces judging from its dark colour and odour”.

South Korea’s military condemned the act as a “clear violation of international law”.

    • alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml
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      5 months ago

      The problem with news about North Korea is that tabloids and defectors can literally just make shit up and it will be republished uncritically by “respectable” news sources so you have no way to judge its credibility.

      Or maybe it’s all true, and to get between cities, north koreans have to pull the train to the next city. Which is actually a fake city, surrounded by fake farms, attended by fake farmers. Then they steal hollywood movies and are immediately executed by anti-aircraft gun for watching western media.

      • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Why is that hard to believe? Now if North Korea claimed to find official legos for cheap? Then I could imagine your disbelief.

  • Fondots@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    My trash company didn’t pick up my trash this week, and this gives me some ideas… BRB, gotta go rent a helium tank

    • alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml
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      5 months ago

      Do you have a rental storage place around you that offers 10 dollars a month intro pricing? You can just leave your garbage there. Pay one month, cash, and never come back.

    • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Those are probably just normal North Korean trash bags. Throwing shitty TP in the trash is very common in countries with bad plumbing.

  • Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee
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    5 months ago

    I remember a defector on a podcast telling about how she was wondering what a trash can was in the safe house in China and how foreign concept “trash” was to her. They don’t consume anything that comes in a package and if it does it’s then repurposed for something else but definitely will not get thrown away.

  • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
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    5 months ago

    “It seriously threatens the safety of our people. North Korea is entirely liable for what happens due to the balloons and we sternly warn North Korea to immediately stop this inhumane and crass action,” the military said.

    It does not help South Korea when they make silly statements like this.

      • awkwardly_personal@lemmynsfw.com
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        5 months ago

        A public health hazard is definitely a different league than inhumane and act of war. It’s a little silly if anything, considering the large number And long history of pamphlets sent North from the South.