South Korea has grown tired of the trash-carrying balloons that have been flying over its northern border for months. The situation began in May when a few balloons caused concern among South Korean authorities but has since escalated. By September, the government reported that North Korea had sent 5,500 balloons filled with waste, including some containing manure. In response, the country is now preparing to use drones to combat the issue.
Ultimately, South Korea is worried that its neighboring country could swap what’s currently inside the balloons (dirty papers, plastic, and manure) for something that could pose a much greater threat to its population in the future, such as pathogens or radioactive substances.
“Anti-trash balloon” drones. It might sound strange, but South Korea is considering creating “anti-trash balloon” drones to address the issue. The drones would detect, capture, and neutralize the enemy balloons.
According to local media, including The Korea Times, defense companies, academics, and research institutions are collaborating to develop these special unmanned vehicles and plan to submit a proposal to the government in the coming months.
The goal: a rapid response. The initiative involves Jeonbuk National University’s Defense Research Institute, Hanseo University, UAM Tech, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, the Korea Military Academy, and virus research company BioLT, among others.
Kang Eun-ho, head of the Defense Research Institute and a former defense chief, told The Korea Times, “We plan to propose the project to the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly next month, emphasizing the need to analyze the security threats posed by North Korean trash balloons and establish a swift response system.”
All this for a few balloons? Not exactly. The South Korean government faces a serious problem with the increasing number of trash balloons sent from North Korea. According to the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Security, North Korea sent more than 5,500 balloons filled with garbage between May and September, triggering 22 alerts.
Some of these balloons are equipped with timers that can cause them to explode and scatter their contents. In July, Reuters reported that one of these balloons caused a fire on top of a building in Gyeonggi, a province near Seoul. South Korean authorities are currently closely examining the situation. In September, they warned that if North Korea crosses “a line” and a fatality occurs, they would respond with “decisive military action.”
The key is in what’s inside the balloons. Additionally, South Korean authorities are watching the balloons closely for other reasons. While they may currently carry trash or even animal dung, The Korea Times reports there’s a “growing alarm” that North Korea could use the balloons to send more dangerous contents, such as radioactive substances or pathogens.
According to the South Korean outlet, the military has hesitated to intercept the balloons mid-flight, fearing they’ll release hazardous materials. A recent Institute for National Security Strategy study highlights that, at the moment, the most concerning contents of the trash balloons are feces and the bacteria they contain, which could lead to diseases like cholera. “Instead of focusing on speculative future biochemical attack scenarios, the immediate concern is managing the feces found in these balloons,” the authors say.
How do South Korean authorities plan to tackle the situation? Even though they haven’t submitted their proposal to the National Defense Committee yet, the promoters of the initiative say they know what South Korea needs. They plan to create two types of drones: multicopter devices to detect and pick up balloons and vertical take-off and landing drones to be used in areas already affected by balloons.
The multicopters will be equipped with highly sensitive radiation detectors, sample collection equipment, and capture devices. The drones will operate along the border, each one handling a single balloon for at least three hours per mission. After neutralizing the balloons, the drones will move them to a location for experts to analyze and dispose of them.
A medium-term solution is needed. Research and development is expected to take about three years and will require an annual budget of ₩10,000 million (about $7.4 million). The fact that the solution will take so long has already raised concerns, especially considering that North Korea has launched more than 5,500 balloons in just six months. Additionally, there were particularly intense days in July, with about 500 balloons in a single day.
The team behind the initiative said that the task ahead isn’t easy. They’ll need to find the most effective and safe way to analyze and neutralize the balloons. Their equipment will need to be able to handle heavy transport in all kinds of weather conditions, and they’ll also have to build special spaces for conducting tests.
Escalation. There may be a third reason why the trash balloons are of concern in South Korea. Relations between the two countries have been strained for a while, but tensions have escalated over the past few months. On one hand, South Korea suspended a 2018 military pact after its northern neighbor started sending balloons carrying trash. On the other, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently referred to South Korea as its country’s “principal enemy.”
More recently, North Korea made a largely symbolic announcement reflecting the current state of relations. The country has decided to cut off road and rail access to South Korea, aiming to “completely separate” the two territories and “permanently shut off and block the southern border.” The Korean People’s Army says this is a “self-defensive measure for inhibiting war.”
Image | Karl Greif
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