“Although they launched over 310 balloons, many of them flew toward North Korea,” the joint chiefs of staff said, adding that about 50 had landed in South Korea so far.
The latest batch of balloons that reached the south contained lavatory paper and plastic, but no toxic materials.
But Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP that escalation is likely to continue and that “North Korea will do something beyond our imagination”.
Pyongyang may attempt to fake a chemical attack in South Korea, Prof Kim said, like “throwing flour”, which will “cause absolute panic in the south, which they will be happy about”.
Since this latest escalation in tensions, Seoul has restored its military presence along the north-south demarcation line. South Korea and the United States dropped precision bombs on simulated targets for the first time in seven years last week.