The South Korean presidential compound was hit by North Korean trash-carrying balloons Wednesday, forcing Seoul to dispatch biohazard groups.
It is the primary time the South Korean chief’s workplace in downtown Seoul, which is protected by scores of troopers and a no-fly zone, has been instantly hit by any of the hundreds of trash-carrying balloons launched by Pyongyang since May.
“The chemical, biological and radiological (warfare) response team has safely collected the trash balloons,” the presidential safety service instructed AFP.
“After investigation, results have confirmed that there were no danger or contamination of the object,” it stated.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff had earlier confirmed the North was as soon as once more sending the trash-carrying balloons, whereas Seoul metropolis authorities additionally issued an alert Wednesday morning.
“If you find any fallen balloons do not touch them and report them to the nearest military unit or police station,” it stated.
According to the Yonhap news company, the presidential workplace had been monitoring the balloon in real-time and was conscious of precisely the place it will land.
“It is difficult to handle midair because we do not know what the balloons may contain,” a presidential official stated, Yonhap reported.
“There will be no change in our policy of collecting them after they have fallen.”
The army has shunned taking pictures down the balloons out of concern their contents may unfold additional and trigger extra injury, Yonhap stated.
The balloons are a safety subject for Seoul, however on this occasion the North simply acquired fortunate, an analyst instructed AFP.
“It is a security problem since there are different defense facilities for the presidential complex,” stated Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha Women’s University.
“Since the balloons fly with the wind, they fall very randomly. It’s difficult to say North Korea intended to do this,” he added.
This is the tenth time the North has despatched the balloons throughout the border this yr in what it claims is retaliation for anti-regime propaganda balloons launched by South Korean activists.
In response to the waves of balloons, South Korea on Sunday resumed “full scale” propaganda broadcasts from loudspeakers alongside the border, directed at North.
Seoul has additionally totally suspended a tension-reducing army deal and restarted live-fire drills on border islands and close to the demilitarized zone that divides the Korean peninsula.
The two Koreas stay technically at struggle as a result of the 1950-53 Korean War led to an armistice, not a peace treaty.
The propaganda broadcasts – a tactic which dates again to that battle – infuriate Pyongyang, which beforehand threatened artillery strikes in opposition to Seoul’s loudspeaker items.
Source: www.dailysabah.com