Trash balloons sent by North Korea cause regular disruptions at Seoul's airports

25/9/2024 12:48

        South Korea has been forced to repeatedly shut down runways at the two main airports for the capital Seoul since June due to disruption from balloons carrying trash launched by North Korea, a South Korean lawmaker said on Wednesday, citing aviation data.
        
        On 20 different days since June 1, all or some runways at Incheon and Gimpo airports were closed for landings or takeoffs, or both, when balloons were detected in the vicinity, Democratic Party member of parliament Yang Bu-nam said in a statement.
        
        In total, the closures lasted 413 minutes.
        
        North Korea has launched more than 5,500 balloons with bags of trash attached to them since late May, saying it was responding to balloons carrying propaganda leaflets flown by South Korean activists.
        
        The balloons are carried by wind and some have dropped in the South, including near the presidential office and on airport runways.
        
        While most were removed by authorities without incident, some have disrupted airport traffic and caused small fires.