Arab News Japan

TOKYO: North Korea’s Undersecretary of Defense Kim Kang-il says the North will “temporarily suspend the action of releasing wastepaper across the border” into South Korea.

North Korea admitted sending 15 tons of wastepaper via 3,500 balloons across the border to South Korea from May 28 to June 2. It took this action, Kim says, in retaliation for the South sending leaflets in the other direction.

“We made the (South) Koreans fully experience how uncomfortable it is to pick up scattered wastepaper and how much effort it takes,” Kim said, adding that the North only took action as “response measures” against the South.

“However,” he added, “if South Koreans resume distributing anti-Korean leaflets, depending on the amount and number of cases found, we will respond by intensively releasing 100 times more wastepaper and garbage.”