North Korea: Mobilizing the military to shoot… balloons

(Baonghean.vn) - On Sunday, February 22, North Korea said it was ready to shoot down balloons carrying 10,000 DVDs of The Interview - a film about the CIA's failed assassination attempt on Kim Jong Un produced by the US.

South Korean activists are planning to launch balloons carrying 10,000 DVDs of The Interview across the southern border of the two countries. They also plan to drop 500,000 anti-North Korean leaflets along with copies of The Interview next week.

North Korean military celebrates the 61st anniversary of the founding of the North Korean state on July 27. Photo: AFP/KCNA

In response to the above information, the North Korean military warned that “All firepower of the North Korean forces in the border area will be put on standby without any warning… All are ready to shoot down the balloons.” North Korea’s official KCNA news agency reported that the balloons were a “political provocation” and “a de facto declaration of war.”

South Korea said it would retaliate if North Korean gunfire was fired toward its territory. South Korean activists organized the event to mark the fifth anniversary of the sinking of a South Korean warship in 2010, killing 46 sailors. After the incident, South Korea blamed North Korea for the incident and demanded that Pyongyang take responsibility.

This is not the first time that South Korea has dropped leaflets and North Korea has shot down balloons carrying them. A similar incident occurred in October 2010. Since the armistice, North Korea and South Korea have remained in a state of confrontation and hostility.

Chu Thanh

According to Le Monde March 23