North Korea sent about 600 more rubbish-carrying balloons toward the South after a similar campaign days earlier, according to South Korea's military.
The background: Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, confirmed the North sent the balloons to make good on her country's recent threat to "scatter mounds of wastepaper and filth" in South Korea, in response to leafleting campaigns by South Korean activists.
The North's balloon launches added to a recent series of provocative steps, which include its failed spy satellite launch and a barrage of short-range missile launches reportedly intended to attack the South pre-emptively.
The key quote: "Our military is conducting surveillance... and collecting the fallen debris, prioritising public safety. We urge the public to avoid contact with the fallen waste balloons and report them to the nearest military unit or police station." — South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
What else to know: Some 900 balloons have been launched since the campaign started on Tuesday, the JCS said.
The balloons contained manure, scraps of cloth and other waste but no dangerous substances were included. Some had timers to pop them mid-air. There have been no reports of injuries or damage.
What happens now: Seoul has slammed the move as "low-class", warning of strong countermeasures unless Pyongyang stops such "irrational" provocations.
