North Korea flies balloons carrying rubbish over to South Korea in bizarre provocation

Balloons with rubbish, thought to have been sent by North Korea, in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea (South Korea Presidential Office via AP)

By Kim Tong-Hyung, Associated Press

North Korea has flown hundreds of waste-carrying balloons towards South Korea in one of its most bizarre provocations against its rival in years, prompting the South's military to mobilise chemical and explosive response teams to recover objects and debris in different parts of the country.

The ballooning campaign came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged his military scientists to overcome a failed satellite launch and continue developing space-based reconnaissance capabilities, which he described as crucial for countering US and South Korean military activities, state media said.