N. Korea increasing timed detonators on trash balloons

The South Korean military said Thursday that North Korea has increased the use of timed detonators attached to its trash-carrying balloons, public broadcaster KBS reported. The timers have been placed on the balloons to make them explode after a certain period of time and scatter debris, Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) spokesman Lee Sung-joon explained during a regular briefing in Seoul. "Compared to the North's earlier balloon launches, the use of these detonators has risen," Lee said. According to the JCS, North Korea floated around 500 trash-carrying balloons across the border since Wednesday. Responding to questions about a trash-carrying balloon landing on the presidential office compound, the spokesman said no hazardous materials have been found so far. Lee stressed that if the trash-carrying balloons were to contain hazardous substances, it would be considered an attack on South Korean soil. Source: Kuwait News Agency