The Vice Minister of National Defense of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced Sunday that they would cease sending further waste-carrying balloons to South Korea. The waste balloon project began on May 28, transporting paper and rubbish into metropolitan areas such as Seoul. The DPRK claims to have sent 15 tonnes of waste within 3,500 balloons. South Korean news outlets report that the balloons also carried excrement.

The balloons were launched in retaliation to balloons flown into North Korea by South Korean activists, who attempted to share propaganda against the DPRK state through pamphlet-based anti-Pyongyang propaganda. The South Korean balloons contained evidence of their culture, including USB drives with music and pop culture. These entertainment sources are illegal within North Korea.

Kim Yo Jong, the Deputy Department Director of the Publicity and Information Department of the Worker’s Party of Korea and sister of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, issued a press release condemning the hypocrisy of the South Korean Government. Her statement discusses how South Korea’s reaction reflects the nature of the severity of the actions they have undertaken for years, drawing attention to the frequent propaganda balloons that the South has sent to the DPRK capital for years.

Kim Yo Jong reports that if the DPRK balloons are an “obvious violation of international law”, as reported by the ROK, then the propaganda balloons must also be. However, she highlighted the South Korean government’s decision to overturn its legislation banning propaganda balloons, asserting that this violated freedom of speech. Kim Yo Jong’s final statement in this press release was that North Korea would cease sending waste-filled balloons if South Korea ceased to send propaganda. However, she warned that if South Korea were to send any further pamphlets, more balloons would follow.

South Korea has denied responsibility for the balloons launched and condemned North Korea, calling the North’s actions ‘inhumane’ and ‘low-grade’. South Korean officials report that the government has begun cooperating with the UN following the incident to secure the public’s safety.