The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff indicated that "North Korea has been launching large numbers of balloons filled with trash towards the south since Tuesday night, in a clear response to South Korean activists sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border." The South Korean military noted that "more than 260 North Korean balloons were found scattered in various parts of the country by Wednesday afternoon, which were recovered by military rapid response teams and explosive ordnance disposal units."
The military reported that "the balloons contained various types of trash and waste, but no human waste has been discovered so far." They advised civilians not to touch any discarded items from North Korea and to report their findings to the military or police. North Korean Deputy Defense Minister Kim Kang-il stated that "North Korea intends to scatter 'piles of waste and filth' in border areas and other parts of South Korea, describing it as a 'retaliatory' step against the leaflets published by South Korean activists."