North Korea sends more trash balloons to South Korea after Kim's sister's threat.

North Korea has sent over 300 balloons laden with refuse into South Korea, following a warning from Kim Jong Un's influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, regarding the cessation of propaganda broadcasts along the tense border.

Kim Yo Jong's statement, conveyed by state media on Sunday, cautioned of a potential "confrontation crisis" if South Korea persisted with its loudspeaker broadcasts.

In response, South Korea's military reported the latest balloons carried only scrap paper and plastic, contrasting with previous payloads containing unsanitary items such as manure and cigarette butts.

While the South had resumed loudspeaker broadcasts, Pyongyang's recent actions mark an escalation in tensions that had previously led to a cessation of such broadcasts during a period of inter-Korean rapprochement in 2018.

Pyongyang attributes its balloon campaign to retaliation against South Korean activists' dissemination of anti-North Korean leaflets and USB drives filled with South Korean entertainment.

The situation underscores a delicate balance between military tension and information flow across the inter-Korean border. Analysts suggest that North Korea's tactics might be outdated in the face of South Korea's openness and the prevalence of messages promoting freedom and cultural exchange.