North Korean balloons disrupted Incheon airport 12 times

North Korea’s recent decision to launch debris balloons into South Korea disrupted operations at Incheon International Airport, the country’s main gateway, 12 times, according to government data, a South Korean lawmaker said Tuesday. /p>

According to al-Quds al-Arabi, Yonhap reported that according to data provided by the Seoul Regional Aviation Authority to Yang Bonam, a member of parliament from the main opposition Democratic Party, airport runways were closed 12 times for a total of 265 minutes due to balloons flying from Korea. They were coming from the north, it was closed. 

The most severe disruption occurred on June 26, when the airport’s runways were closed eight times and takeoffs and landings were halted for 166 minutes.

According to South Korea’s intelligence agency, North Korea has sent about 3,600 balloons filled with garbage to South Korea this year. Pyongyang says it will send these garbage balloons across the border in response to South Korea’s propaganda leaflets.

North and South Korea have always used balloons for their propaganda and counter-propaganda wars since the Korean War in the 1950s. This action has intensified in the last year and thousands of balloons have been sent across the border from North Korea since May.

Translator: Mina Azimi