FALCON POWERS – The South Korean military announced on Friday that it had fired warning shots the previous day to repel North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the inter-Korean land border for the third time this month.
Meanwhile, a group of activists said they had launched more propaganda balloons toward North Korea, continuing a campaign that has aggravated tensions between the rivals.
The border incursions are likely linked to the large number of troops North Korea has deployed to front-line areas to fortify its side of the border, possibly to prevent civilians and soldiers from defecting to the South as Pyongyang tightens its grip on the population.
Civilian activists from South Korea, led by the North Korean defector Park Sang-hak, said they launched 20 balloons carrying 300,000 propaganda leaflets, 5,000 USB sticks with South Korean pop songs and TV dramas, and $3,000 in cash from the South Korean border town of Paju on Thursday evening.
Analysts say Pyongyang is irritated by such materials and fears they could undermine the morale of front-line forces and weaken leader Kim Jong Un’s absolute control over power.
