Seoul accuses Pyongyang of sending more than 180 balloons filled with garbage to South Korea

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea sent more than 180 balloons filled with garbage toward the country overnight, marking the third consecutive balloon launch this week.

The General Staff added in a text message sent to reporters, “About 70 balloons, most of them carrying small pieces of paper, landed in Seoul and the northern part of Gyeonggi Province surrounding the capital.”

She noted that "until 9 a.m. there were no balloons in the air," while analysis of the garbage recovered so far showed that it "does not contain harmful materials."

Since May 28, North Korea has launched thousands of balloons seven times in a "reciprocal" move against anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by North Korean defectors and activists in the South, Yonhap news agency reported.

In response to the balloon campaign, South Korea briefly broadcast anti-Pyongyang over loudspeakers installed in border areas on June 9 for the first time in 6 years.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it "remains prepared to turn on its loudspeakers at any time," warning that "this step will depend on the North's actions."