Tensions between North and South Korea

Key Points

• North Korea resumed trash-carrying balloon launches in response to South Korean activists flying political leaflets via balloons
• South Korea threatened to restart anti-Pyongyang frontline propaganda broadcasts
• The two Koreas have engaged in psychological campaigns involving balloons and loudspeaker broadcasts
• Worries about North Korea intensified with the Kim-Putin deal and concerns about military cooperation between North Korea and Russia

Pros

• South Korea maintaining military readiness
• No hazardous items found in the trash carried by North Korean balloons

Cons

• Possibility of escalating tensions between North and South Korea
• Risk of deepening internal divide in South Korea over civilian leafleting

Keywords

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